$241 MILLION: Mega Millions lottery frenzy ramps up

Mar 17, 2012, 8:04 am (241 comments)

Mega Millions

By Todd Northrop

The multi-state Mega Millions lottery game once again enters the spotlight, as lottery players across the United States will vie for a Mega-jackpot Tuesday that promises to radically change one lucky winner's life.

After nobody won Friday night's Mega Millions drawing, the $201 million jackpot 'rolled over', and the new estimate for Tuesday's drawing is a massive $241 million.

The cash value — the most important factor for many jackpot-watchers — stands at a staggering $170.9 million.

Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 15 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on Jan. 27 as a $12 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.

In the latest Mega Millions drawing that took place this past Friday night, there was no jackpot winner, but 7 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250,000 prize: 3 from California, 2 from New York, and 2 from Texas.

The 3 California winners will each be awarded prizes of $326,163, 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 Friday Mega Millions winning numbers were 28, 29, 43, 51, and 53, with a Mega Ball number of 7.  The Megaplier was 3.

Players who purchase the Megaplier for an extra $1 per ticket can have their non-jackpot prizes multiplied by the Megaplier number drawn that evening.  For example, for Friday night's drawing, players who purchased the Megaplier and won a $10,000 prize would have their prize multiplied by 3, and would win $30,000.

After it was determined that there were no jackpot-winning tickets in Friday's drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $41 million from its previous amount of $200 million. The cash value was raised by $25.5 million, from its previous amount of $145.4 million.

The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Tuesday evening at 11:00 pm EDT.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 42 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For a complete set of game descriptions, results, history, and all questions regarding Mega Millions, lottery players are encouraged to visit USA Mega (www.usamega.com), a Web site that caters to the Unites States's two multi-state lottery games, Powerball and Mega Millions.

The Mega Millions winning numbers will be published at USA Mega minutes after the 11:00 pm EDT drawing.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

mightwin's avatarmightwin

Sounds good!!

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

Tuesday is such a long time away, I believe I will simply be the sole winner of tonight's powerball drawing instead... either that or someone from Rhode Island will win.  :)

mcginnin56

It will have been worth the wait. I know have another 41 million reasons to celebrate on Tuesday evening. Thanks everybody for your

generous contributions. You shouldn't have.....really.    No Nod

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

$241 Million sounds good to me....Wink

Cletu$2's avatarCletu$2

I can live with it.

wuazzup

241 sounds good for today mebbe 412 hmmm... well if i can't win the jackpot i guess i'll settle for a pick 3, str8!

Piaceri

Alrighty then. Let's do it! $241/$171 looks like a lucky number for someone. Good luck everyone!

 

White BouncePartyBananaDanceHyperPartyWhite Bounce

WWWBUKTN

Looking forward to Tuesday.   I'm leaving Florida on Monday morning to head home to Chicago.   I have a friend who buys me tickets every ten drawings for Mega Millions and mails them to me since they don't play it here.  I play the same numbers.   Since I'm driving back I'm going to buy two quick picks in every state I pass through on the drive back so I'll hit it up in GA, TN, KY, IN and then I'll grab two quick picks in IL to go along with my regular numbers so I'll be an $11.00 donator this drawing.   It would make for a great story if I won on one of my road quick picks.....well, at least for me.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Lep Well 'ere we go again ........ bless the powers that be .....

Gonna cash in my $3 winner and hope to be the big winner on Tuesday Lep

and I'd like to thank you all for you kindly given donations .....

special thanks to those spending $5 + dollars a play

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Well, here we go!

At least $111,000,000 after taxes here in Pennsylvania!

Patriot

zinniagirl's avatarzinniagirl

Good luck to all.   May your dreams come true.  As for me, only 2 tickets....

Null Space

Good luck to everyone.

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Quote: Originally posted by hearsetrax on Mar 17, 2012

Lep Well 'ere we go again ........ bless the powers that be .....

Gonna cash in my $3 winner and hope to be the big winner on Tuesday Lep

and I'd like to thank you all for you kindly given donations .....

special thanks to those spending $5 + dollars a play

Way to go! $3 is better than $0!

I hope that you have 5 numbers on Tuesday!  Wink

I am going to go "Green" the conservative way ............ with money!  Lep

I don't plan on spending any more money than usual for Tuesday's big win .....................

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by dpoly1 on Mar 17, 2012

Way to go! $3 is better than $0!

I hope that you have 5 numbers on Tuesday!  Wink

I am going to go "Green" the conservative way ............ with money!  Lep

I don't plan on spending any more money than usual for Tuesday's big win .....................

Lep should prove to be a very interesting drawing indeed ,Dpoly1, very interesting

may the blessed saints preserve us all if rdg or psykomo winsLep

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