COLUMBIA, S.C. — A group of family and friends who went in together to purchase Mega Millions lottery tickets are now reaping a pretty big reward. It turns out that the quick pick purchased at the Murphy Express at 210 Ricky Lane in Columbia, just off Clemson Road, was a $1 million winner.
The Mega Millions drawing for Nov. 17, 2023, had the numbers 6, 12, 31, 33, 69, and MB: 17. The group's ticket matched the first five numbers drawn but missed the Megaball number to win them the $1 million.
The group's organizer waited several weeks before checking the numbers and invited members to lunch to break the news. The group went together to cash in the winning ticket and put their winnings toward retirement, savings and vacations.
The odds of winning $1 million playing Mega Millions are 1 in 12,607,306.
The estimated Mega Millions jackpot for Friday night's drawing is $457 million.
The Mega Millions and Powerball drawings are held live at 11 p.m. on WLTX. Find the numbers at WLTX.com or SCEducationLottery.com.