Statics speak loudly: one in every three lottery jackpots are won by a syndicate. When the jackpot of this giant US lottery is getting higher, people team up to buy huge amounts of Mega Millions tickets together. Why? Because the syndicates offer much bigger winning odds while splitting the cost of the tickets.
Want to join a Mega Millions syndicate? Now you can do it online! Read the stories below and keep your fingers crossed: maybe you are walking in their footsteps.
The Three Amigos Scooped Record Mega Millions Jackpot
Mega Millions lottery has been the holder of the world record for biggest jackpot until 2016. The prize of $656 million this US lotto game delivered back in March of 2012 was won on three tickets, and one of them belonged to a syndicate. At the time they claimed their win, they wished to remain anonymous and chose this nickname for the public. However, we managed to find out a few things about them. They are group of three, made up of two women – one in her twenties, one in her fifties and a man in his forties. They are from Milford Mill, Maryland and worked together in education.
The youngest of them purchased the tickets and checked the numbers. When she realized they are the owners of a winning ticket, she got in touch with the two other Amigos. When claiming their prize, they went for the cash option, which brought them $158 million each. Way to go, Amigos!
Did they plan on quitting their jobs? No. However, they talked about European backpacking trips, visiting Italy, paying for their kids’ college, buying new homes for them and their family, and making wise investments with their money. Whatever they ended up doing with their money, they remain the most famous Mega Millions syndicate winners.
Manhattan Syndicate Wins $58 million
Another syndicate made at work managed to put their hands on a Mega Millions jackpot in March 2015. The $58 million prize Mega Millions displayed on the draw of March 24th, 2015 was split among 16 syndicate members, all of them employees of Ophthotech Corporation – a biotech company in New York.
These syndicate winners had been playing Mega Millions together since 2010, and were taking turns on buying the tickets. The winning ticket was purchased in the store located in the same building as their offices. “There was a lot of buzz around the office following the drawing as everyone learned the jackpot winner was sold in our building” said Evelyn Harrison, the COO of the company, a member of the winning syndicate herself. They went “from one person’s computer to another’s checking each person’s scan of the ticket” to make sure they are seeing right.
They decided to cash the win as a lump sum, each of them getting $1.65 million after taxes.
Railroad workers get very close to winning the jackpot
The draw of June 3, 2016 was displaying a massive $251m jackpot. A syndicate of 18 Union Pacific Railroad workers from Los Angeles had their eyes set on this amazing prize. As sad as they were for missing the jackpot by one number only, they were also happy to hear they won a nice amount of $900,790. They delegated two of the members, Willie Ramos and Hernando Manalo, to represent them and collect the winnings from the Santa Fe Springs District Office. Friends for 35 years, the two had been playing the lottery for over 20 years. Although they were aiming higher, they certainly enjoyed spending the $50,043 before federal taxes.