Two $4 million Mega Millions tickets sold within a half mile of each other in Florida
The odds of winning second-level prizes in Mega Millions are 1 in 12,607,306, so it’s nothing short of astounding that two Florida women each won $4 million on the same day ... in the same town ... with tickets they bought at Publix grocery stores.
Reana Mahaney, 60, and Megan Chora, 40, may never have met, but they’re now two of the wealthiest people in the city of Largo, about a 25-mile drive west from Tampa.
Their tickets matched all five white ball numbers in the popular lottery game, but didn’t match the Mega Ball, Florida Lottery officials said in news releases.
That resulted in runner-up prizes of $1 million each. However, the women also spent an extra buck for the Megaplier and that quadrupled their prizes.
The drawing was held June 11 and Chora was first to cash in her ticket on Oct. 30. Mahaney showed up Nov. 5, officials said.
Details of how the women intended to spend their money were not released.
Among the coincidences is the two Publix stores where they bought tickets are within a half mile of each other on Ulmerton Road, maps show.
The stores each got a $5,000 commission for selling the winning tickets.
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 November 6, 2024 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Two $4 million Mega Millions tickets sold within a half mile of each other in Florida."