Mega Millions: Four Worldwide Lotteries Very Lucky In October

Around the world, it is not only Mega Millions players in America that are getting lucky. As the Mega Millions fever builds in the USA, lottery winners are rushing to get their tickets for the draw on Friday, October 24 at 11 p.m. Eastern Time. So far there have been a few wins, but no one has taken the Mega Millions jackpot.

In other two other countries, October has been unusually lucky, and this Friday has Europe on the edge of their seats for one of the biggest draws in history for their version of Mega Millions.

Ingrid Roterud Mathisen laughs during an interview after winning the second-largest prize in the Norwegian Lottery.

In Norway on Wednesday, October 22, 2014, the second-largest prize ever won was awarded by the Norsk Tipping. The Norwegian version of Mega Millions, the Tidens Krav newspapers says the prize was collected by a woman in her late 50s named Ingrid Roterud Mathisen. The Local in Norway reports that she will collect far less than the top wins for Mega Millions at $19 million USD (127 million Kroner).

The Kristiansund, Norway resident was playing the Viking Lotto game that is drawn every Wednesday for participants in Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Mathisen made a statement about the win.

"It's completely unbelievable! I almost don't know what to say. I'm almost a bit afraid that I will wake up tomorrow to discover it was all just a dream."

A man chose to accept his lottery prize anonymously in China by wearing a bear costume. He won the third-largest prize ever awarded in Chinese history.

In China, the size of the prizes that Mega Millions grants to Americans are comparable to their own lottery. It was reported on October 14, 2014 that a man-bear has won the third-largest win in China's history with a payout of $81 million USD. A trend in China, the man collected his winnings on television anonymously. For his appearance, he dressed in a comical yellow bear costume.

Reported in China's American newspaper, CCTV, the winner follows what a lot of Mega Millions winners have done and is donating to charity. In particular, he donated $1.95 million to the Provincial Charity Federation.

Throughout Europe, lottery players are also on the edge of their seat for the Friday, October 24 draw, but not for the Mega Millions. Hosted in Paris, the equivalent of Mega Millions is the multi-national EuroMillions. The International Business Times reports that its top prize was won in 2012 when Adrian and Gillian Bayford of Haverhill won 190 million Euros.

This Friday while Americans anticipate the Mega Millions drawing, the Express UK says the grand prize in Europe is expected to be the equivalent of 190 million Euros ($240 million USD).

Within America, there are several well-chronicled lucky lottery winners that have taken the Mega Millions prize. Most are listed on the Mega Millions winners page with a lengthy article discussing the winner's lucky numbers, the place they bought their tickets, and other details about their lives. However, according to the Huffington Post, South Carolina, Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota and Ohio allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

So far, the largest lottery jackpot in history was the $656 Mega Millions prize won on March 30, 2012. The second-largest Mega Millions was $414 million and was won on March 18, 2014. In America, Mega Millions' top prize has not been surmounted by another lottery.