Here's the MEGA MILLIONS Press release for anyone that hasn't seen it yet. Sorry if this has been posted already.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10, 2002
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Jimmy White, 410-318-6220
MEGA MILLIONS SET TO SWEEP THE NATION MAY 15, 2002
Mega Millions Expected to Achieve Average Jackpots of $80 Million
With the Potential to Reach Over $500 Million!
(TRENTON, NJ April 10, 2002) The nine member states comprising the BIG GAME Group today announced the launch of Mega Millions, the nations newest and most exciting multi-state, mega-jackpot lottery game.
Mega Millions expects to achieve an average jackpot of $80 million with the potential to exceed $500 million based on expected ticket sales across all participating jurisdictions. Tickets for the Mega Millions game will be sold exclusively in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Virginia. And, starting in September 2002, the game will also be sold in the State of Washington. The game will produce a minimum jackpot of $10 million, offer nine ways to win and have overall odds of 1 in 43 of winning a cash prize.
Tickets for Mega Millions will go on sale Wednesday, May 15, 2002 at a cost of $1 per game. The live drawings will be conducted every Tuesday and Friday in Atlanta, Georgia. The first televised drawing will be conducted on Friday, May 17, 2002 at 11 p.m. EST.
Mega Millions will succeed the BIG GAME, which has been played across the country since September 1996. The final drawing for the BIG GAME will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2002. If there is no top prize winner(s), the BIG GAME jackpot prize will roll into and become the jackpot for the first draw of Mega Millions.
I am very excited to announce this new game, said Rebecca Paul, President of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. Mega Millions means more players, higher jackpots, and most importantly, more money for the vital programs lotteries fund, such as education here in Georgia, she added.
We look forward to sharing the excitement and fun that Mega Millions promises, because higher jackpots and secondary prizes are sure to be fun for our players, said Illinois Lottery Director Lori Montana. In addition, we want to remind players that they can still have fun while playing responsibly. After all, it only takes a dollar to get in the game!
As the Mega Millions Game generates super large jackpot levels for our players enjoyment, we certainly hope that Marylanders will be among the biggest winners in this multi-state game, said Buddy Roogow, Executive Director of the Maryland Lottery.
The New Jersey Lottery is thrilled to bring Mega Millions to the Garden State, said Carole Hedinger, Acting Executive Director of the New Jersey Lottery. This enhanced game will create super jackpots, produce record-breaking commissions for our retailer network and most importantly generate millions of dollars for New Jersey education and institutions.
The Michigan Lottery is excited about the introduction of this new mega-jackpot game, James Kipp, Acting Commissioner for the Michigan Lottery, said. We believe our players will like the bigger jackpots the Mega Millions Game promises to bring and the larger secondary prize levels as well. The BIG GAME has been very popular with Michigan Lottery players since it started over five years ago. We expect Mega Millions will continue to build on The Big Games success!
Its been a long time coming, said New York Lottery Director Margaret R. DeFrancisco. The New York Lottery is delighted to bring the Mega Millions game to our players and retailers statewide. New Yorkers from one end of the Empire State to the other will now be able to experience the fun and excitement of a mega-jackpot game year-round, and New Yorks schools will benefit greatly from the millions of dollars in additional revenue we expect to generate through the sale of tickets for the Mega Millions game.
In Massachusetts, where the Lottery has a long history and is very popular, the launch of Mega Millions is especially exciting, Jay Mitchell, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lottery, said. The addition of New York and Ohio to our multi-state partnership will enable us to offer larger jackpots that will generate fresh excitement among our players.
Ohio is proud to be associated with our new Mega Millions partner states, Ohio Lottery Director Dennis Kennedy added. We will not only be offering our players a new game, but what we believe to be the premier lottery game in the country.
In Virginia we are building on the well-established success of The BIG GAME, and enhancing it, said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Penelope W. Kyle. Players in the Commonwealth will find everything about Mega Millions bigger and better.
Mega Millions Offers Nine Ways to Win
If a Player Matches... He/She Wins& Odds of Winning
Five (5) White Balls plus the Gold Mega Ball Jackpot One in 135,145,920
Five (5) White Balls only $175,000 One in 2,649,920
Four (4) White Balls plus the Gold Mega Ball $5,000 One in 575,089
Four (4) White Balls only $150 One in 11,276
Three (3) White Balls plus the Gold Mega Ball $150 One in 12,502
Two (2) White Balls plus the Gold Mega Ball $10 One in 833
Three (3) White Balls $7 One in 245
One (1) White Ball plus the Gold Mega Ball $3 One in 152
Gold Mega Ball only $2 One in 88
As mentioned, Mega Millions is an enhanced version of the BIG GAME, the popular, multi-state game that existed since September 1996.
Mega Millions vs. THE BIG GAME
Mega Millions offers a minimum jackpot of $10 million, with nine ways to win and overall odds of 1 in 43
BIG GAME offered a minimum jackpot of $5 million, with nine ways to win and overall odds of 1 in 31
Average Mega Millions Jackpot will be $80 million
Average BIG GAME jackpots were $26 million
To play Mega Millions, players choose five numbers from 1 to 52 and then select one Gold Mega Ball number from 1 to 52
BIG GAME players chose five numbers from 1 to 50 and select one Big Money Ball number from 1 to 36
Mega Millions players match five numbers and win $175,000
BIG GAME offered $150,000 for matching five numbers
Secondary prizes for Mega Millions have increases in six of the eight prize levels.
Mega Millions, member states are Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Virginia.
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www.megamillions.com
Please direct all media inquiries to the appropriate Mega Millions State. The contacts are as follows:
Contact Georgia Lottery Public Relations Office at 404-215-5019 or email
treddick@galottery.org
Contact Illinois Lottery Public Relations Office at 217-524-5157 or email
anne.plohr@isl.state.il.us
Contact Maryland Lottery Communications Office at 410-318-6205 or email jwhite@msla.state.md.us
Contact Massachusetts Lottery Public Relations Office at 781-849-5600 or email scadres@masslottery.com
Contact Michigan Lottery Public Relations Office at 517-335-5648 or email schlinkers@michigan.gov
Contact New Jersey Lottery Public Information Office at 609-599-5876 or email linda.melone@lottery.state.nj.us
Contact New York Lottery Press & Community Relations at 518-388-3415 or email pcr@lottery.state.ny.us.
Contact Ohio Lottery Public Relations Office at 216-787-3309 or email mardele.cohen@olc.state.oh.us
Contact Virginia Lottery Public Affairs Office at 804-692-7771 or email escarborough@valottery.state.va.us