JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Christmas Eve, someone could get the biggest Christmas gift of all time: a Mega Millions ticket worth $1 billion.
It’s a Christmas morning many said they hope will be extra special this year.
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“I got the mega million ticket, hopefully, I win,” Donta Simmons said. “Tomorrow I’m going to wake up, check it, and hopefully, I’ll win.”
The jackpot has soared to about a billion dollars, which is the seventh largest in history.
“My sister bought us this lotto ticket, we won $40 dollars … so we’re hoping to cash this in and hoping we can win the mega millions,” Ashley Fries said.
Ashley Fries and her son Troy were on a mission to buy a winning ticket. They went to the Welcome Food Store on Loretto Road because they said it was “feeling lucky.”
This store has had so many lottery winners over the years, that it’s claimed the name “The Little Lucky Store.” So, Christmas Eve has been busy.
“We’ve been slammed pretty much all day,” Welcome Food Store employee Peyton Daugherty said. “It’s been people buying lotto after lotto. We’ve sold multiple Mega Millions today.”
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This prize has been climbing since the last winner took home an $810 million dollar ticket back in September. But 29 drawings later and now it could be someone’s Christmas gift.
“Probably get some shoes,” Troy said when asked what he would do with the money.
The last time someone won a Mega Millions ticket on Christmas Eve was reportedly in 2002.
Simmons said he’s hoping it will be him this time.
“If I win I’m going to be on an island, y’all won’t see me no more,” Simmons said.
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The largest prize in history was a whopping $1.6 billion, and it was sold in our area at the Publix in Neptune Beach last August.
“Hopefully I’m calling you tomorrow because we won,” Ashley said.
If you choose the cash option, the winner gets about $450 million.
You can view the winning numbers here.
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