SAN ANTONIO — Do San Antonians feel lucky?
Friday night is the last night San Antonians can buy a ticket to play the Mega Millions and seize their chance at winning $1.28 billion. It's the second largest Mega Millions Jackpot in 20 years, according to their website.
The record prize of $1.5 billion was won back in 2018, where the winning ticket was sold in South Carolina. However, there was one Texan who won big in 2013. Their website says that person, a Houston resident at the time, won $20 million by correctly guessing all five numbers and the Mega Ball.
Will the next winner be a fellow San Antonian? Well, forgetting about the odds of winning the whole jackpot, you don't have to get all six numbers to win big. Five matching numbers can be worth a $1 million.
In San Antonio the Mega Millions is called the Texas Lottery Mega Millions, and they have provided a list of times every number has been drawn for the past five years, if you can't decide on what numbers to play.
Here's what San Antonians need to know if they decide to play:
Where do I purchase tickets?
The Mega Million drawings can't be purchased online in the State of Texas. You will have to go to a gas station and order them from a cashier. Alternatively, some gas stations have lottery machines where you can place your numbers before paying at the front.
How long do I have to purchase a ticket?
The drawing begins Friday night at 9:45 p.m., so it's best to purchase your ticket before 9 p.m. since the drawings will close to leave enough time for all the tickets to be processed. The winning numbers will be available to view on their website by 10:12 p.m.
How much do they cost?
Each ticket is $2 for five numbers and the Mega Ball number. You need to correctly match all six numbers for the jackpot prize. If you would also like to add the megaplier, then you pay $3 for your ticket. This megaplier is a chance to increase your non-jackpot prize by two, three, four or five times. This ball will be drawn Friday night as well.
Overall, there are nine ways to win the Mega Million, ranging from the jackpot to a $2 prize that could at least win your purchase order back. Good luck!