$195 MILLION: Mega Millions keeps the good times rolling

Feb 22, 2014, 2:08 pm (68 comments)

Mega Millions

By Todd Northrop

What's a big jackpot lottery player to do when the Powerball jackpot has been won?  These days, the answer is to play Mega Millions.

Thanks to adjustments made to the Mega Millions game last year, the multi-state game's jackpots are once again growing quickly — and typically growing quite large before being won.

The new Mega Millions jackpot for the upcoming Tuesday drawing has now reached $195 million, just 2 months after exploding to a near-record $636 million.

(See $636 Million Mega Millions jackpot split by 2 tickets, Lottery Post, Dec. 18, 2013.)

And in that 2-month stretch the Mega Millions game even produced another win for $61 million.  (See Woman and son claim Tennessee's first Mega Millions jackpot win, Lottery Post, Jan. 15, 2014.)

The lump-sum cash value of Tuesday's grand prize is $107.1 million.  That's a big chunk of cash.

Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 14 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on January 7 as a $15 million grand prize.

Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs. Occasionally the official jackpot estimate is raised even before the drawing, due to larger-than-expected sales.

In Friday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Pennsylvania and 1 from Virginia.

Neither of the second-prize winners purchased the Megaplier for an extra $1 per ticket.  If they had, their tickets would have been worth an astonishing $5,000,000, since the Megaplier number drawn Friday evening was 5. The Megaplier offers players a chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes by the random Megaplier number drawn that evening for an extra $1 per play.

The Megaplier option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Megaplier is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts. By law, California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.

Also, a total of 62 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $5,000 prize. Of those tickets, 7 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing their prize to $25,000, and 13 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $2,649.

The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, February 21, 2014, were 23, 29, 32, 45, and 46, with Mega Ball number 15. The Megaplier number was 5.

Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $23 million from its previous amount of $172 million. The cash value was raised by $12.2 million, from its previous amount of $94.9 million.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $1 each.

A 44th Mega Millions state may be added later this year, as the state of Wyoming has approved a new state lottery with the intention of joining multi-state lottery games. (See Wyoming officially becomes 44th state with a lottery, Lottery Post, Mar. 14, 2013.)

The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

mrcraft's avatarmrcraft

I'll just play my usual buck a draw.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Winning numbers for 02/25/14 could be 04-09-15-26-31 (05). To try them or not to try them....*evil laugh* muhahaha

mightwin's avatarmightwin

Hopefully it keeps on rolling for awhile

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Grabbed a few tix, said my prayers, told the mrs that I loved her...She looked at me like the wife in the "It's Jake from State Farm" commercial..<shoulder shrug>... I told her I am not running away..after all, the drawing isn't until Tuesday.

RedStang's avatarRedStang

     

Jon D's avatarJon D

Quote: Originally posted by mrcraft on Feb 22, 2014

I'll just play my usual buck a draw.

Yeah, as before...wake me when it's over $400M.

Yawn

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

I have $1 riding on this!

Pennsylvania still does not have a jackpot win for Mega Millions

Time to change that!

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on Feb 22, 2014

Yeah, as before...wake me when it's over $400M.

Yawn

Apparently I just have to post this news story to wake you up. Wink

lottoguysocal's avatarlottoguysocal

this amount is still an exciting amount to me anyhow, 80 mil after taxes since california has no state tax on lottery prizes or I can roll the dice and let the good times roll for 30 payments..interesting

hsg2000

Troll  US Flag 

 

Why is it the majority of jackpot winners from Califorinia, New York and Florida?

Can anyone provide me with a real answer

zirabamuzaale

Quote: Originally posted by dpoly1 on Feb 22, 2014

I have $1 riding on this!

Pennsylvania still does not have a jackpot win for Mega Millions

Time to change that!

So does Arizona. Thanks to the new Matrix, I have been encouraged to play multiple combinations with the MM. I have so far played three combinations and I will add the fourth one on Tuesday i.e. that is the day of this draw.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Quote: Originally posted by hsg2000 on Feb 22, 2014

Troll  US Flag 

 

Why is it the majority of jackpot winners from Califorinia, New York and Florida?

Can anyone provide me with a real answer

Simply a reflection of population.

And those states don't have the Rougarou.

Scared

//

Anyone else thinking this would be a good time to hit the PB at its $40M start point? Hitting either one is a dream, but there wouldn't be much focus on a $40M winner right now.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Roll Eyes time to toss another dollar down the green hole of no return Cheers

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Feb 23, 2014

Simply a reflection of population.

And those states don't have the Rougarou.

Scared

//

Anyone else thinking this would be a good time to hit the PB at its $40M start point? Hitting either one is a dream, but there wouldn't be much focus on a $40M winner right now.

Actually, I really hope to win the Texas Lotto, or the smaller of PB or MM when one of them is huge. It would be a little easier to fly under the radar.

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