Mega Millions player misses jackpot but wins $4 million with ticket from Florida Publix
A Mega Millions player from Florida has become a millionaire with a ticket bought during a trip to Publix.
Megan Chora of Pinellas County has claimed a $4 million prize, the Florida Lottery said Oct. 30.
The 40-year-old bought a ticket for the June 11 Mega Millions drawing at the Publix Super Market at Largo Mall and paid an extra dollar for the Megaplier, according to lottery officials.
She matched all five white balls but missed the Mega Ball, landing a second-tier prize of $1 million that was multiplied by four with the Megaplier, Mega Millions results show.
Chora was one of two players in Florida and one of three nationwide to win $4 million, the highest prize of the night, McClatchy News reported in June.
The other $4 million ticket sold in Florida came from another Publix less than half a mile away.
Largo is about a 25-mile drive west from downtown Tampa.
Another Mega Millions player from Florida narrowly missed the $250 million jackpot in the Oct. 29 drawing but still won $1 million, McClatchy News reported.
That lucky player bought their ticket at a Publix in Kissimmee.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score the jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball. The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state. Officials have announced they will cost $5 starting in April.
Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Mega Millions player misses jackpot but wins $4 million with ticket from Florida Publix."