By Todd Northrop
The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $425 million, prompting a rush of ticket-buying by people betting their luck will hold out when the second-largest drawing on record takes place on Friday the 13th.
Jan Lyons was waiting to buy a $1 Mega Millions lottery ticket Thursday when she decided to up her odds and purchase two.
"Because the jackpot is so high," said the 75-year-old retiree from south suburban Markham.
Because no one has won the jackpot in more than two months, the top prize has grown to the second-largest in Mega Millions history, trailing only a $656 million jackpot in March 2012 shared by an Illinois couple. It's also the fifth-largest in U.S. history.
The cash value has been raised to $228.2 million, making it the seventh-largest cash value for a US lottery jackpot in history.
While there was no winner in Tuesday's $344 million drawing, five tickets that matched the first five numbers to each win $1,000,000 were bought in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and two in Ohio.
A winner with a ticket matching all six numbers would have the choice of a full jackpot in 30 annual payments or a cash option of more than $200 million, before taxes.
The drawing is at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
Lyons knows it's a long shot, with the odds of winning the jackpot at about one in 259 million. She says she doesn't play all the time but tends to be lured by the fervor and hype of the biggest pots.
"Somebody's got to win it," she said, laughing. "It might as well be me. If I don't play, I can't win."
Daniel Levine, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington, said people often make decisions in terms of what's possible rather than what's probable.
"They're drawn to the fact that there is a chance that they'll win, and they're not thinking about the numbers," he said. "Our decisions don't always fall into a rational model."
Lottery players often are attracted to the huge jackpots, despite the minuscule odds, said Romel Mostafa, assistant professor at the Ivey School of Business at Western University in Ontario, Canada.
About five years ago, he and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University studied lottery ticket purchases of low-income subjects and found they tended to buy more tickets for $1, one at a time. They were less likely to buy more tickets all at once because it was perceived as a greater financial setback.
"When they're making these decisions one at a time, they're thinking this is peanuts," he said. "Whereas when they're making the decision all at once, it seems like a bigger hit."
Mostafa also said people in the study tended to buy lottery tickets when they believed their income was below a socially acceptable standard. Subjects also were more inclined to buy tickets when they were primed to think about social inequalities.
"People start thinking the lottery can be fair, in that it really doesn't pick winners or losers based on education, race or occupation," he said.
Several customers at a Speedway gas station in Tinley Park were buying tickets Thursday.
"We are busy, crazy all day here," said co-manager Sirivanh Maneewan. "For $400 million, more people are buying."
One man said he happened to have three dollar bills in his pocket, so he bought three tickets.
Ron Scherer, 42, a roofer from Merrionette Park, had a simple explanation for the ticket in his hand.
"I'm just trying to make money," he said.
Lottery players seeking to check the winning numbers Saturday night are urged to use USA Mega (www.usamega.com). State lottery Web sites are normally sluggish or brought to a standstill during busy periods, while USA Mega normally remains responsive.
Mega Millions drawing results will be posted immediately after the 11:00 pm drawing at USA Mega. The number of winners and new jackpot will be announced after all participating states have reported their data, which normally occurs within a few hours after the drawing.
Tickets will remain on sale typically until 10:45 pm Eastern Time on Saturday, although players should check with a lottery retailer in their state for the exact sales cutoff time. Players are advised not to wait until the last minute.
The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 259 million. The odds of winning any of the Mega Millions prizes are 1 in 14.7.
Mega Millions tickets cost $1 each. For an extra $1 per ticket players can purchase the Megaplier option, which multiplies any non-jackpot won by up to 5 times, depending on the Megaplier number drawn that evening.
The only state that does not offer the Megaplier is California, because state law banning fixed lottery prize amounts is not compatible with the fixed nature of the Megaplier payouts.
Lottery players can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.
Mega Millions features nine different prize levels, ranging from $1 all the way up to the jackpot. Players can win even if they just match one number — the Mega Ball number.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 5th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States.
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Mega Millions: $425 million, Dec. 13, 2013 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
- Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
- The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
- Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
- Powerball: $338.3 million, Mar. 23, 2013 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $337 million, Aug. 15, 2012 - Michigan
- Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
- The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
- Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
- Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 25, 2002 - West Virgina
- Powerball: $314.3 million, Aug. 25, 2007 - Indiana
- Powerball: $295.7 million, Jul. 29, 1998 - Indiana
- Powerball: $295 million, Aug. 25, 2001 - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $294 million, Jul. 2, 2004 - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $276.3 million, Mar. 15, 2008 - West Virgina
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Mega Millions: 9
- Powerball: 14
- 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.
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 7th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
- Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $228.2 million cash, Dec. 13, 2013 ($425 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
- Powerball: $211 million cash, Mar. 23, 2013 ($338.3 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $210 million cash, Feb. 11, 2012 ($336.4 million annuity) - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $202.9 million cash, Mar. 25, 2011 ($319 million annuity) - New York
- Mega Millions: $194.4. million cash, Aug. 31, 2007 ($330 million annuity) - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Mega Millions: $185 million cash, Nov. 15, 2005 ($315 million annuity) - California
- The Big Game: $180 million cash, May 9, 2000 ($363 million annuity) - Illinois, Michigan
- Powerball: $177.3 million cash, Feb. 18, 2006 ($365 million annuity) - Nebraska
- Powerball: $170.5 million cash, Dec. 25, 2002 ($314.9 million annuity) - West Virginia
- Mega Millions: $168 million cash, July 2, 2004 ($294 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $167.7 million cash, Feb. 22, 2008 ($275 million annuity) - Georgia
- Powerball: $166 million cash, Aug. 25, 2001 ($295 million annuity) - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $165.2 million cash, May 4, 2010 ($266 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $164.4 million cash, won Oct. 19, 2005 ($340 million annuity) - Oregon
- Mega Millions: $164 million cash, Feb. 28, 2006 ($270 million annuity) - Ohio
- Powerball: $161.5 million cash, July 29, 1998 ($295.7 million annuity) - Indiana
I think I will jump in and get my ticket tonight on this news.
I smell money.
"""Daniel Levine, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington, said people often make decisions in terms of what's possible rather than what's probable.
"They're drawn to the fact that there is a chance that they'll win, and they're not thinking about the numbers," he said. "Our decisions don't always fall into a rational model.""""
Really??? No crap Sherlock!!! Why would anyone pay attention to the numbers (odds)??? People should approach this simply like this...."i'll pick/get 6 numbers, and 6 numbers will be shown/drawn, if my numbers show then i win". Simple. All this crazy talk about the odds are rediculous. As if the prior odds were just sooooooooo much easier and better. Buy a couple/few tickets or so, cross your fingers and that's it. No need to look that much deeper into it if you ask me.
Roll baby roll
$425M?!!! Oh Lordy!!!
I just saw that the mega millions lottery director said as of this morning 34% of the combinations have been sold. I would say by the draw about 40% will be sold. 50/50 it's hit tonight.
LMAO. Good one, Golfer. Nothing like a swooning woman to put it in perspective.
I'm in for the win! Wooooo!!!!!!! Let's gooooo!!!!!! Single winner, baby, single winner!!!!
singlewinnersinglewinnersinglewinner
People who play regulary thought MM was crazy to increase the Matrix to 75 numbers, but it turns out that the Mega Million folks were crazy like a fox. This has worked out perfectly for them, not such much for the players. lol With someone or others hitting the Power Ball last night, Mega Millions has all the attention. This is going to turn into a frenzy if no one hits tonight! I said I would never play MM again until the jackpot went over $400 mil, well I'm off to buy my ticket.
Interesting side note, 27 numbers have yet to hit which is amazing actually, that means 64% of the 75 number matrix has had a hit. I'm surprised it's happened this fast. Even with a gigantic number field, certain numbers are still able to get hot. #44 has hit 5 times in the last 10 drawings. #41 has hit 4 times in the last 10 drawing. Considering that there has only been 15 games since the relaunch, that's impressive.
Wow. Only 34%? Much lower than I expected it to be by now. Anyone know how many tickets were sold since Tuesday? Unless the majority were waiting to buy their tickets today for Friday the 13th, looks very likely that it will roll again, which will make me happy but I'll finally break down and buy a few tickets tonight...just in case. Even though it would suck if both MM and PB got reset in the same week.
I can imagine how many people are going to play 13 as the gold money ball.
I hope the jackpot continues to roll.
The Mega Millions drawing is tonight, Friday 13th [December 2013]. The references in the article to Saturday should be changed. Powerball draws on Saturday.
If it rolls by next Tuesday it will be 700+
ought to be a most curious Hexmas indeed
Seems likely to me, but just never know !
Can't wait to win!!...gonna buy up all the land in detroit and turn buildings into the hydroponic growing capital of the world..muhahaha
j/k
The New Jersey Lottery just reported that New Jersey is averaging sales of more than $2,400 per minute. The ticket rush began early this morning and steadily increased throughout the day.
Yeah, there's definitely a buzz in the air.(and in the stores) Haven't seen it like this in a long time.
Perfect timing of falling on a Friday which usually has higher sales, the national news featured it prominently,(local news crazy as usual too) and we're in the holiday season but in the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nothing to distract from MM/Lotto fever being whipped into a frenzy.
Couldn't help myself and bought another ticket during lunch.
Love the brisk sales but no winner tonight. Sure of it. Dec 27th before its won. Watch and see. $1 Billion plus
Why only the $12 million bump? Why not shooting to $500+ million? I think it's going to just be a bit crazier given the holidays, but not as frenzied as the first couple of times that mega and power touched 400+
good luck to all"
I played my usual 4 tickets (for my regular numbers) and played four more tickets. Best of luck to all of you also.
$425 Million Woo Hoo!!!!!
I bought 35 picks but,........let's roll!
I'm still boycotting...
Not that I really care but I don't believe you for a minute. I laugh at these types of posts. You really come on a lottery based website to tell other players you have no intention of playing a single dollar for the fourth largest jackpot. Makes sense.
That said I bought two tickets, my usual numbers and a quickie.
Hmmm...well I have no intention on playing a single dollar for the fifth largest jackpot either. Record-level jackpots are now so frequent that I don't bother wasting it on non-record levels. Now when it gets to the second biggest, that is when I play one dollar
Everyone has their own playing style.
Most people say they'll boycott and end up caving in eventually, but that's not me. Whether the jackpot be $15 million or $50 billion, this new game stinks, and I won't support it. I understand the house has to win, but the house doesn't need to win, kick us down, and spit on our faces all at the same time.
With the last three drawings containing a '3' in them, I'd be shocked if yet another '3' showed up. Not to mention that would also make it the 6th drawing in a row to contain an 'odd' MB #. We shall see....
well the frenzy is official ..... best to all playing this evening
I bought one ticket. I'm not spending no more than that.
Between PB and MM concurrent wins happen a lot for some reason. Powerball was won on Wednesday, so I predict there's a 99.9% chance mega millions will be won tonight.
I wasn't going to...I wasn't going to be one of the herd...but 3 of my quick pick tickets bought at two separate locations have 13 as the money ball as well as the powerball quick pick ticket I bought at a third location. So much for not being a cliche!
The fever is on here Todd, Lottery Post friends,..... It was fun watching the people,,,
comments being made, 
>>> play them numbers.....
I hope it keeps rolling. I want to see a 1 Billion $ jackpot
How about $525 mil and next Friday $650mil
I cut and pasted this from another site. This was news to me. And yes, I did this...lol. Had some red Christmas card envelopes.
Attract Wealth and Prosperity with This Simple Feng Shui Secret
9 Little Coins Can Be a Money Magnet
One simple Feng Shui secret can attract abundant wealth right to your door and into your life. Anyone can reap the rewards by taking just a few ordinary household items and arranging them correctly in order to invite positive Feng Shui money energy into their lives and home.
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese principle of aesthetics that is used to create and invite positive 'chi' or energy to your home and into your life. It is believed that by drawing from elements of heaven (astronomy) and earth (geography) we can drastically change our environment and our lives. It has become more and more popular over the years and many people even go so far as to consult with a Feng Shui advisor for help in designing, building and decorating their living spaces and office spaces.
Feng Shui is a very complex and exact belief so if you are really serious about reaping its benefits in your own life you should do much research in order to understand the fundamentals. Only this way can you effectively evaluate your current living space and make the suggested changes that will bring about great rewards.
I would like to pass along a simple Feng Shui action you can take NOW in order to invite wealth and prosperity to your home! It is simple, fast and quite effective! You have nothing to lose! It won't cost you any money but only a few moments of your time. So read on and get going NOW!
What you'll need:
9 coins, any denomination
a RED envelope
5-10 minutes of your time
Step 1:
You'll need NINE COINS for each entryway into your home. You can find these coins at the bottom of your purse, under your couch cushions and many other places. The coins can be a mixture of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. It really doesn't matter as long as there are NINE coins! Okay, that was easy, right? You are halfway there!
Step 2:
Place the NINE COINS in a RED ENVELOPE. The Chinese culture believes the color red to symbolize good fortune! If you do not have a red envelope, don't fret. You can simply use a red marker, paint or colored pencil to make your white envelope red. See? I told you this was going to be easy!
Step 3:
Fold the red envelope into a smaller entity around the coins and secure with tape. For this step you can use scotch tape or even packing tape. It won't matter, really, as long as your envelope stays in tact.
Step 4:
Now take your RED ENVELOPE containing NINE COINS and place it under your welcome matt outside your home's entryway! If you tend to use both your front and back entry a lot, you can place an additional RED ENVELOPE containing another NINE COINS outside of that entry too!
So that's it! Now you have taken the steps to invite positive fortune and prosperity into your home! GOOD LUCK!
Lol,Doesn't having a red door on your house supposed to bring good luck also! ?
I think so!
Artist77,
One casino I worked in had a very large Hawaiin trade.
Christmas and New Year's they all came up to the game with red envelopes filled with money, they had all given each other gifts, mostly $100 billes they called lici (lee-see) money. Supposed to be good luck.
The casino got most of it but they had a good time.
Mines blue...........dang it
Last minute rush is upon us.....just as expected!!!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!! Not too much luck though, i'm rooting for you guys catching a few second prize winners for yourselves. Single winner for Dec 27th....ME!!!!
wow! I will keep all my tickets in a red envelope now also.
The Quick Pick gods have assigned it to me 9 times for this evening's drawing.
I've heard it said a red light at the front door can bring good fortune.
I like watching Johnny fever better then Lotto fever.
I guess that explains all the red lights in those windows in Amsterdam huh????
I thought the Chinese used a red light to keep the bugs away.
I can feel the energy from my red envelopes......lol.
Let It ROLL to>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ONE BILLION !!!!!!!!!
I spent a crap load on this run, but I would like to see it roll one more time just to see what happens. ........
Friday the 13th is messing with yar heads. It's all about the cat. Darn black cat!
Some of us like the black cat.
A very nice sum of money for our 1st Mega Millions Jackpot in Pennsylvania since joining in 2010!
What chu talkin bout Nick? What do you mean it "was" fun watching the people"? Are you leaving us or something? Don't give up now, it's $425M!
Starting estimate will be $550 million is nobody hits
19 24 26 27 70....................12
good luck America
the winning numbers for 12/13/13
I knew 12 was gonna come out as the Megaball. I got it. Two tickets. Bought 3. Lost a buck.
Here goes: :-)
19 = Earthworm, Flag, Farmer, Troop, Large Table, Armor, Large Rat
24 = Pigeon, Music, Carpenter, Kitchen, Big Fish
26 = Eel, Street, Medical, Bright, Golden Cloud
27 = Wasp, Bell, Big Spoon, Canary, Trunk, Monkey
70 = Telephone, Coconut, Shooting, Barrel, Rainbow, Bullet
12 = Prostitute, Holy Women, Travel, Towels, Comet, Lady, Big Dog
I would like another crack at this jackpot before some one wins. But you never know until the chicks are counted.-weshar75
Nobody won. It's now at 550 millions.
huh
Where did you get that information from so quickly?
I don't even see that on the MegaUSA site.
The number look to funny for someone to hit jackpot. I was guessing no one hit jackpot.
This seems infallible
The numbers always look too "funny" for someone to hit! It's the lotto, duh!!! lol
I wasn't even aware that it had grown to $425m. My work schedule has outdated me on this game!!!
I hit the golden no. 12...tis the 5th time I am winning in this new matrix!!!
No one win. Mega million tonight.
Lottery texas lottery twitter account said
No jackpot winner for tonight's Mega Millions drawing. Jackpot for Tuesday is $550 million!
Thanks for that, "No jackpot winner for tonight's Mega Millions drawing. Jackpot for Tuesday is $550 million! #megamillions"
https://twitter.com/TexasLottery
if they"the texas lottery" just trolling us am gonna rofl
if not a troll by them, sound the nuclear alarm
we going into lottery fever meltdown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHLERpO4HuI
Where?
See above lol
I told you guys that no one won Mega Millions. I was right. Just have to wait like 10 more mins till it on Mega Millions website.
I don't believe them lol
Keep eye on twitter? Texaslottery twitter official site. No one win?
I am make sure it's legit. It match their twitter account.
Also posted to their official Facebook page with 50 shares and counting.....must be legit?
Edit: Per MM website, it's official.
I'd rather wait for offical news, to see if there was a winner or not.
Just because you guessed that no one won doesn't mean, "Nobody won. It's now at 550 millions." is not misleading at the time of your posting.
I'm with you
USAMEGA updated
On usamega.com it said 550 millions for Mega Millions.
ok NOW it's offical, no winner!!! $550 million
whoa! that's a big jump! from $425 to $550
Might have to get tics in Connecticut. Third second place in a row.
With the odds change, my feeling toward Mega Millions has changed. It is interesting to see it go up and up, but it is no longer fun to play - winning seems completely hopeless now. I've had a MA season ticket for 10 years but I am dropping it when it expires next month. When I consider that literally every person in the US over 18 would have to buy a ticket to cover enough possible numbers to produce 1 winner, I can see they will get their dream billion dollar jackpot soon enough. Yes I may buy a ticket when it hits $800 million or $1 billion - but I will let others build the jackpot for me.
But what will they do if they have a billion dollar jackpot frenzy, sell the max number of tickets possible and there is still no winner week after week because there are not enough players and millions of number combinations are left on the table? That is the senario I am waiting for. I think they have set themselves up to have a winner very very seldom. Too seldom. That's good for their billion dollar dream but bad for the players who begin to question what the point is as the weeks and then months pass by.
But even if I drop out of the game, it is fun to watch from the sidelines as they go into unprecedented territory. Unprecedented odds and unprecedented greed.
As of today they are projecting sales of about 206 million for Tuesday's drawing.
Very true
$167.87M in sales
people plz remb 550 is what they said
it be little bit higher then that
the great powerball jackpot run in may of this year was marketed at 1 time as "The Powerball jackpot has soared to $550 million "
it then got upgraded to 600m marketed, the final total was 590m thro come draw
so i think it will go higher then 550m, not sure if it be way over 600m, we have to wait and see
thanks to cross selling in all states, we have created new class of monster jackpots, godzilla jackpots
and this is lastest monster to come out of ocean to attack us, will it grow to beat old world record, who knows, but its a monster!
the cash value is shockingly low, Difference between cash value and annuity is 260 Million thats a big difference.
I think it will easily pass their conservative estimate on sales. Not a lot to go by since the 1st Mega that got this high and similarly Powerball's 1st go at it were unprecedented. People did spend less with each subsequent $500+ million jackpot, but it's been awhile since people had the fever and it's also the holidays
I see that '3' didn't show up.
the numbers look like a pattern
Judging by the craziness around town, the jackpot will reach $800 million before the next drawing. People are spending big money on this. Personally I think this jackpot will reach $1.5 billion before it's won.
I finally bought one ticket. Figure they will raise the jackpot before the draw and based on sales projections there is a good chance of a winner.
If it rolls again maybe I buy two