$304 MILLION: Mega Millions lottery in rare territory

Mar 23, 2011, 1:20 am (82 comments)

Mega Millions

By Todd Northrop

For only the 12th time in the history of United States lotteries, a lottery jackpot run-up has crossed into $300 million+ territory.

The new high-water mark for the current Mega Millions jackpot was achieved after no winning tickets were sold for Tuesday night's $244 million grand prize.

The lump-sum cash payout value of Friday's Mega Millions jackpot is $193.6 million.

The mammoth prize is the result of 14 draws without a winner. The run-up started as a $12 million prize on Feb. 4.

The winning numbers for Tuesday, March 22, 2011 were 1, 14, 35, 50, and 53, with Mega Ball number 43. The Megaplier number was 4.

Even though nobody won the jackpot Tuesday, 26 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250,000 prize: 1 from Arizona, 5 from California, 2 from Georgia, 1 from Maryland, 1 from Massachusetts, 2 from Michigan, 1 from Minnesota, 1 from Nebraska, 9 from New York, 1 from Pennsylvania, and 2 from Texas.

The 5 California winners will each be awarded prizes of $297,525, because California awards all prizes in a pari-mutuel formula, which calculates the prize amount based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners in each prize category. The winners are helped because there were no second-prize winners from California in the previous drawing, which increased the second prize pool in this drawing.

The winning numbers for Friday's Mega Millions lottery drawing will be published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) right after the drawing takes place at 11:00 PM Eastern Time.

USA Mega is one of the few lottery Web sites with a robust technology backbone that keeps it running strong, even when massive player traffic melts down other state lottery Web sites.

The site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Friday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 12th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States.  That position may rise before the drawing Friday night, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.

If nobody wins Friday, it's anyone's guess how high it will go.

  1. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007
  2. Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 5 2011
  3. Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006
  4. The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000
  5. Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005
  6. Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009
  7. The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002
  8. Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007
  9. Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005
  10. Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 26, 2002
  11. Powerball: $314.3 million, Aug. 25, 2007
  12. Mega Millions: $304 million, Mar. 25, 2011 (preliminary estimate, not won yet)
  13. Powerball: $295.7 million, Jul. 29, 1998
  14. Powerball: $295 million, Aug. 25, 2001
  15. Mega Millions: $294 million, Jul. 2, 2004
  16. Powerball: $276.3 million, Mar. 15, 2008
  17. Mega Millions: $275 million, Feb. 22, 2008
  18. Mega Millions: $270 million, Feb. 28, 2006
  19. Mega Millions: $266 million, May 4, 2010
  20. Mega Millions: $265 million, Apr. 18, 2006
  21. Powerball: $261.6 million, Jun. 2, 2010
  22. Powerball: $261.3 million, Jul. 9, 2003
  23. Powerball: $259.9 million, Aug. 19, 2009
  24. Powerball: $258.5 million, Apr. 21, 2010
  25. Mega Millions: $258 million, Sep. 16, 2005

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Mega Millions: 12
  • Powerball: 11
  • The Big Game: 2

The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002.  The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

dr65's avatardr65

Wow. What a jackpot!

fwlawrence's avatarfwlawrence

I'm buying my ticket later today, before the big rush Friday.

wizeguy's avatarwizeguy

This really adds excitement to the game. I thought it would have got hit tonight. I'll be sure to play a few dollars as my contribution to the entertainment value of megamillions!

Genome

man I bought a ticket with 5 quick pick with multiplier

I won $28

Here are the numbers I won with

1-6-35-50-52-(44)

so close to hitting 4+1 for $40,000 and the jackpot 

its crazy to think about it

louise black

BananaI will win it this time and send all the LP members to dinner or lunch, ok  breakfast if your a early bird. I know your chances are even slimmer than before,I am winning winning! Yes I am excited.I had three numbers without the gold ball on two ticket won$28 on both totaling $56. The whole  jackpot next time. Good luck eveyone, although I will be the winner.Thumbs UpYes Nod

s5thomps's avatars5thomps

           The next winner will be out of Washington state and the winner will be from Alaska. Remember you saw it here first!Dance                         

                                         "You make a living by what you get, You make a LIFE by what you give!"

                                                                                                       Sir Winston Churchill

adamc224

... I wonder if it will increase again like it did last time. Except i do not think it will be as much. High gas prices are pinching everybody's budget including mine... I purchase my tickets in two states so maybe i will cut one out this time... can't really afford to drive to GA to get some tickets!

 

Good Luck Everyone!

increase's avatarincrease

$304 Million - I'll take it!

The winner will be in VA!

Good luck everyone!

visiondude's avatarvisiondude

                                  nope,  still not going to change over into desperation nation.

                          still the same consistent character choice as the last 9 years at LP,   so only.......

                                            1 QP

  ( $20 - $100 in tickets wouldn't give me any better "odds / chances" at $304 million,  than it does at $12 million)

barbos's avatarbarbos

Yo Yo Yo! Finally the fever starts, and I love it!  No it won't be 304M, now only Lord knows how big its gonna be! And if no one hits it is guaranteed to reach half a billion! 

 

Party

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

just launched my breakfast all over my compuker table Puke....

Dammm perfectly good waste of pizza & I hadn't even looked @ my numbers.... DAMM U MEGAMILLIONS !!!!

joshuacloak's avatarjoshuacloak

houston we have left off!   the jackpot is now blasting into outerspace!   

304m my beep, their Now officaly lowballing it for sure

just 2 months ago this happened

the real roll over amounts  1 more time.

Tuesday, January 04, 2011 $380 Million
Friday, December 31, 2010

$242 Million

 

now seeing as this one was 2m higher, at 244m,

anyway, if it rolls, going form 244m to the 360+ million range, or 220+ cash is must likly

last run had 4 days to sell, this only will only have 3 days to sell, taking 1 day out of 4, brings it to round 220m cash, or 360m , Must likly,

MM officals will no doubt For sure update the jackpot amount Come near draw,     they must Know better, the fresh sells data of what 41 states do with a 300+ million jackpot Does not Lie.

 

as for rolling 1 more time, We are now going to sell over 50% of the odds, Bet on it, the jackpot Can sure roll, thro the odds will be agiant it in a major way from Now on

hell i just hope its a single ticket that wins, with so many tickets being sold the chances for 2 winners is Very higher then normal.

like what happened with last jackpot, a self pack and quick  pack both won 380m

if it could pull off a other roll, and blast into high 400m to 500m range, it will be the biggest jackpot in history,   it also have 4 days to sell marketed as 400m to 500+ , can you Say Lotto fever like Never seen before, todd site may even be at risk at such levels.

already their was 26 winners with 5-0, their only 46 mb so jackpot found the sweet 20mb opening to keep on playing, tag your it, and avoided us for 14 draws now

, their closing in, the next one will have around 40 to 50 white ball 5-0 maybe,    as more people play

 

but for now, the math is -35% max fed rate= $126,100,000   , i glady take such a large amount wired to my trust bank account,

it be Party Time then!

also 2011 looking Like 1 hell of a year for mega jackpots for MM,   keep it up MM!

chops

I'm calling it right now...if no one wins Friday, we WILL have our first $400 million jackpot ever.

delS

Ive played numbers in all of them. This will be my winnings, after it crosses the $400,000,000 mark.  I have my attorneys picked out (they dont know it), and I have identified my Wealth Management Co. identified, (they dont know it).  I have my two houses picked out, one in Marylaand and a huge mansion in Orange County Florida.  I have my 50 page life plan already consisely laid out.

Just the transfer of the funds is what i need.  Lol

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