NY Islanders buy $50,000 in Mega Millions tickets as prize pool hits $1 billion

The general public isn’t alone in their quest for a Mega Millions Jackpot. Alongside them is... wait — the New York Islanders hockey team? They amassed 25,000 tickets ahead of the $1.28 billion jackpot drawing, and if they win, plan to disburse funds between season-ticket holders, suite holders, staff and the Islanders Children’s Foundation.

Each Mega Millions ticket cost $2, with odds of winning the Jackpot at 1 in 302,575,350. For each ticket, players select five numbers between 1-70 and then a sixth number ranging from 1 to 25. If a participant matches all six numbers, they win the jackpot. Each jackpot is based on sales and time since the last winner.

The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won (also the largest lottery prize ever won on a single ticket) was worth $1.537 billion back in 2018, but since then, there has been one other lucky billion-dollar winner. A $1.050 billion prize was won in 2021 in the state of Michigan.

The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday evening at 11 p.m. ET.