Samir Mazahem, 56, is ridiculously lucky. He is so lucky that he purchased two Mega Millions lottery tickets with the exact same numbers, winning the $1 million prize twice.
Indeed, the Dearborn Heights man bought his ticket online but then wanted to save those numbers for the next time he played. So he went back to save them, or tried to, and instead purchased the same set of numbers again.
Bummed out, Mazahem did not think much about it. Then, he checked the lottery app at a later date to find that he had two $1 million prizes pending. His accidental purchase doubled his winnings to $2 million.
Game Snapshot
Current Estimated Jackpot:$109 million
Drawing Schedule: Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 p.m.
How To Play
Select five white balls ranging from 1-to-70. Then select a Mega Ball Ramon from 1 to 25. The Megaplier, for another $1, can multiply your earnings by as much as 2X, 3X, 4X, or 5X.
You can check the latest updates on the drawing by checking out a local television station, Michigan Lottery’s website, or by using the app. If you purchased online or through the app, you can receive a notification when you win a prize.
Odds, Price, and Prizes
The odds for matching five white balls, just like Mazahem was able to do, are set at 1-in-12,607,306. What is even more impressive is that he not only did it once but purchased that second ticket. Not sure how the odds are accounted for the same numbers on a separate ticket, but the odds were greatly against him.
To match the jackpot, the odds are 1-in-302,575,350. Since he had five white balls, he was only one more number away with the Mega Ball. The overall odds of winning a single prize are 1-in-24.
To increase your chances of winning an additional prize, players can purchase another ticket, which is $2 each. You can add on the multiplier for another $1 for the chance to earn even more by multiplying your earnings.
Assuming you will not be as fortunate as Mazahem, you are best to choose a slightly different set of numbers to have the best chance at winning.