That Losing Lottery Ticket Can Score You A Free Krispy Kreme Donut

The chances of you winning the $1 billion Mega Millions lotto drawing on Tuesday are pretty slim, but the chances of turning a losing ticket into a donut are 100% at Krispy Kreme. You usually don't get a consolation prize for losing the lottery. Still, anyone who shows a losing ticket at a Krispy Kreme shop August 1-2 can trade it in for a free original glazed donut. The ticket doesn't have to be from Tuesday night's big drawing; it can be from any lottery drawing, as long as you lost.

With no winner in the drawing on Friday, July 28, the Mega Millions jackpot tipped over $1 billion — only the eighth U.S. jackpot lotto to hit that mark. As of Monday night, the jackpot was estimated to be $1.05 billion, with a cash option of $527.9 million, at the time of the drawing on Tuesday night. The If there's a winner on Tuesday, they won't be eligible for a free donut at Krispy Kreme.

In a press release announcing the promotion, the donut shop was pretty sweet about its fans. It claimed the drawing reminded the Krispy Kreme team that they "definitely hit the lottery when it comes to our fans" and "this week we want them all to win some dough."

In addition to being only the eighth U.S. jackpot and the fifth time the Mega Millions lotto has ever hit $1 billion, Krispy Kreme passed a significant milestone, too. In 2022, a quarter-four earnings call reported the North Carolina-based donut shop sold a staggering 1.63 billion donuts across its 30-country distribution. Like Tuesday's lotto, that, too, is a lot of dough.

Krispy Kreme makes an effort to invest in philanthropy and unite communities. During a 2022 fourth-quarter investor call, CEO Mike Tattersfield said the company would "continue to engage and give back to local communities across the world through volunteering, philanthropy, and creating moments of joy through innovative donuts. We are constantly looking to engage people across the globe in [fun] enjoyable ways that really connect people to Krispy Kreme in a powerful way."

In 2023, the company hopes to generate some of that joy out of the universal experience of losing the lottery. Missing out on a giant stack of money might not put a smile on your face, but Krispy Kreme reckons that a free donut at the perfect temperature just might.