The lottery player who bought his $15.1 million Megabucks winner in the town of Luck is named
A small Wisconsin village in Polk County called Luck lived up to its name when one of its residents, Mark Cunningham, won the $15.1 million Megabucks jackpot at his local grocery store, the Wisconsin Lottery said.
Cunningham won the Wisconsin-only game on Jan. 4. He'd drawn two winning tickets at local grocery store Wayne's Food Plus: a $2 winning ticket and the ticket that took the jackpot. His numbers for the big win were 4-6-12-17-27-28.
The $15.1 million prize is the largest Megabucks jackpot since a $22.2 million prize in 2015. The odds of winning the Megabucks jackpot are 1 in 6,991,908 while the odds for a $2 win is 1 in 29. The game draws numbers on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Luck grocery store faced a 'whirlwind' of attention after winning ticket announced
The store that sold the winning ticket, Wayne's Food Plus, has gotten national media attention since the Wisconsin Lottery announced where the ticket was sold. General manager Paul Wondra said the Lottery told him his store would be a "mecca" for people hoping to try their luck at the lottery.
Sure enough, the following day was a "whirlwind," Wondra said.
People were flocking to the store for several days afterward in order to purchase tickets for the national Mega Millions lottery, he said. On top of that, the store and the town's lucky name have been picked up by outlets like People, ABC and many regional news outlets.
The jackpot for the Mega Millions grew to around $1.35 billion after no one won on Tuesday. The next drawing is on Friday.
Luck is a village in Polk County of around a thousand people, about an hour and a half northeast of the Twin Cities. Stories vary on how the village got its name, but they all involve someone hoping fortune would smile upon them.
Despite the village's lucky name, however, Wondra said this was the first jackpot-winning ticket in seven years from his store. And last week's win is the largest in the town by far. A Wisconsin Lottery representative said the next largest prize sold in Luck was a $64,503 Badger 5 jackpot prize won in 2013.
Still, after Friday, we'll know whether the next jackpot winner will be in Luck again — or whether Friday the 13th will cause everyone's numbers to come up empty.
Want a shot at the Mega Millions? Here's where and when to play
Wisconsin Lottery tickets — which cost $2 each — may only be purchased with cash at participating Wisconsin Lottery retailers, including many gas stations and convenience stores. Tickets must be purchased before 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday to be included in that day’s drawing.
Purchasers must be at least 18 years old.
To find a retailer near you, visit wilottery.com/where-to-buy.
Hannah Kirby contributed to this report.
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Wisconsin Lottery announces name of Megabucks jackpot winner from Luck
