Mega Millions players hoping to win a multimillion-dollar prize may be scratching their heads after seeing the winning numbers.

On Tuesday December 17th, the Mega Millions numbers were 56-66-67-68-69 and the Mega Ball was 18. Megaplier was 4x.

Those were really the winning numbers. Is it strange or random to see consecutive or sequential numbers in a lottery draw? As they say in the lottery business, “It could happen to you.”

Interestingly, that’s not the only oddity in this particular lottery streak, which began on September 13, 2024, or Friday the 13th, with $20 million. Since then, rollovers had increased the Mega Millions jackpot to $760 million for Tuesday, December 17th.

There’s no doubt that Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing produced unforgettable numbers. Here’s another example: On June 11, 2022, the Virginia Lottery’s Bank a Million drawing resulted in the number sequence 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. According to the Washington Post and a KFOX 14 report from July 6, 2022 Alonzo Coleman won $250,000 for playing these numbers.

In Mega Millions, Powerball and Florida Lottery games, players often rely on an automated “quick pick” option when purchasing their tickets from a retailer. Some regularly play routine “lucky numbers” and others leave it to chance. There is no wrong way to choose Mega Millions numbers. There is also no magic formula to determine the winning numbers.

Read on to find out more lottery number oddities we’ve noticed in recent years.

Are consecutive number sequences common in lottery drawings?

Over the years there have been repeated lottery draws in which consecutive numbers or consecutive sequences of numbers were created.

• For example, the April 25, 2023 Mega Millions drawing produced consecutive numbers 46, 47 and 48, according to a July 12, 2023 article in TCPalm, a USA TODAY Network newspaper. In case you’re wondering, the Mega Millions numbers for Tuesday, April 25, 2023: 8-29-46-47-48 and the Mega Ball was 12.

• On May 12, 2023, the Mega Millions winning numbers only contained numbers 1 through 5 and were similar to the counting sequence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. The numbers: 1-2-23-40-45 and the Mega Ball was 15, says the TCPalm story.

Repeat numbers in Mega Millions and Powerball lottery drawings

Another number oddity in the lottery world? Repeat numbers.

• On October 31, 2022, the number 13 appeared twice, in the winning numbers and as a Powerball. According to a review of the Powerball website and an extensive internet search, the October 31, 2022 drawing was likely the first time the number 13 appeared twice in a Powerball drawing – on Halloween – for a $1 billion jackpot. Dollar. The fact that 13 was drawn twice in a major lottery drawing on October 31st is largely considered an unlucky number, even scary, is a fun fact in itself.

• On Monday, July 24, 2023, the Powerball was 25 for the main game and 25 for the double game. A day later, in the Mega Millions drawing, the Mega Ball for Tuesday, July 25th was 25. The Mega Ball from the previous drawing (Friday, July 21st, 2023) was also 25. For some reason, 25 was one popular number in both lottery games.

Palindrome dates, notable dates and odd lottery number sequences

Strangely enough, a few days after the Powerball “Number 13” drawing on October 31, 2022, something strange happened again.

• On November 2nd, 2022, an interesting numerical event occurred in the Powerball drawing: the date of the drawing was 11/2/22, the jackpot was $1.2 billion and three of the winning numbers contained the date (11, 2 and 22 ). ).

• The Mega Millions lottery jackpot of $1.05 billion was won on January 22, 2021, which is a palindromic number. When written in this style, 01/22/21, the date (and numbers) are the same when the digits are reversed.

• Of the 11 times a lottery jackpot reached $1 billion or more, two of the winning tickets were purchased at a beachfront Publix in Florida and the winnings were at least, according to a Sept. 20, 2024, FLORIDA TODAY article $1.58 billion. A Powerball prize was worth $1.586 billion and a Mega Millions jackpot was worth $1.58 billion.

Did anyone win a big lottery jackpot on Friday the 13th?

Yes! A single ticket was purchased in Maine for the January 13, 2023 Mega Millions drawing. The winner remains anonymous through a trust and received his $1.35 billion winnings through the limited liability company LaKoma Island Investments LLC, according to a Feb. 22, 2023, USA TODAY article.

According to the Mega Millions website, seven Mega Millions jackpots were won on a Friday the 13th. (The irony: The number 7 is of course considered a lucky number.)

“Michigan was particularly lucky on this special day, winning four jackpots (June 2008, May 2011, June 2014 and one shared with Rhode Island in October 2017),” reads a post on megamillions.com. “The game’s third-largest prize to date ($1.348 billion) was won in Maine on Friday, January 13, 2023. Friday the 13th jackpot was also won in New York in March 2009 and in Ohio in November 2015.”

Sangalang is a senior digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Keep following her Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Lottery: Consecutive numbers like 13-14-15-16-17-18-19, palindrome dates