CINCINNATI -- If you are snapping up Mega Millions tickets this week, hoping to score that $1.6 billion jackpot, you would probably like to know about anything that could give you an edge over other hopefuls.
Some people look for strategies for improving their odds, such as buying a certain number of tickets, or playing the same numbers each week.
Others choose numbers that have come up the most in past drawings.LotteryNumbers.com says the most frequently drawn number in the Mega Millions has been "2," while the most common Mega Ball final number is "3." (Who would have thought that such low numbers would come up the most?)
And other players drive out of their way to hit what is considered a lucky store, where more winners have been sold over the years.
So we checked with the lottery commissions in both Ohio and Kentucky to find the nine stores that have sold the most Mega Million winning tickets. Technically, you should not call them "lucky" stores, though it sure sounds snappier.
Most winning stores in Ohio
According to the Ohio Lottery, the stores in the Cincinnati area that have sold the biggest Mega Millions winning tickets since 2013 (when the game started in its current form) are:
- Vine Street Kafe, 1014 Vine Street, downtown Cincinnati (the convenience store on the first floor of Kroger headquarters). It sold a $1 million winning ticket in February 2017.
- The 52 Bar, 4016 Glenway Ave. in Price Hill. It sold a $1 million winning ticket in March 2016.
The stores cashing the most Mega Million tickets since 2013, according to the Oho Lotto are:
- Hamilton County: Ameristop, 7870 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Twp.
- Butler County: Dixie Deli, Rt. 4, Fairfield
- Warren County: Kroger, Mason
- Clermont County: BP of Goshen, Rt. 28
Most winning stores in Kentucky
The Kentucky Lottery does not publicly divulge where winning tickets are sold.
However, it does provide names of stores that have sold and cashed in the most tickets (it doesn't necessarily mean the winning tickets were purchased there, however).
The top lottery stores in Northern Kentucky are:
- Boone County: Kroger, Burlington
- Kenton County: Liberty Tobacco, 235 W 5th Street, Covington
- Campbell County: One Stop Liquor, Bellevue (next to Bellevue Kroger)
So there you have it, the top nine Cincinnati area stores if you are hoping to find a lucky store for purchasing tickets.
In most cases, however, these are just busy, popular stores. Popular ticket-selling stores tend to be lucky, because they sell so many tickets.
However, we have to add to two honorable mentions:
- White Oak Market, Cheviot Road in White Oak. This store has sold two $10 million winning Ohio Lottery tickets in the past decade, so many westsiders consider it the area's most lucky store (However, they were not Mega Millions tickets, which is why they are not on our official list).
- Fat Daddy's Road Dog Marathon, Main Street, Moraine, Ohio. Technically, this retailer is not in the Cincinnati area, since it is in the Dayton, Ohio market. But it has sold the only major Mega Millions winning ticket in southern Ohio since the game began:a $143 million winner in May 2018.
In case you were wondering, Ohio is one of a handful of states not requiring winners to come forward publicly.
So the Moraine, Ohio winner of Southern Ohio's only $100 million-plus Mega Million tickethas never been revealed, which was probably a smart move.
As always, don't waste your money.
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