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.
I'll just play my usual buck a draw.
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
Hopefully it keeps on rolling for awhile
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.
Yeah, as before...wake me when it's over $400M.
I have $1 riding on this!
Pennsylvania still does not have a jackpot win for Mega Millions
Time to change that!
Apparently I just have to post this news story to wake you up.
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
Why is it the majority of jackpot winners from Califorinia, New York and Florida?
Can anyone provide me with a real answer
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.
Simply a reflection of population.
And those states don't have the Rougarou.
//
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.
Already got my numbers ready, good luck everyone.
Luck of the draw. When your turn comes, you win, regardless of state of residence.
The lottery is biased towards heavily democrat states.
If you don't want your money flowing to new york and california, don't play the national lotteries anymore. Play your state lotteries instead.
Go have a look.
http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012/
You are exactly right. Remember what Kennedy said: My fellow Americans, ask not what your Lottery can do for you, ask what you can do for your Lottery.
donkeys and elephants
..... what's new 
hsg2000,
You think just maybe it has to do with population and ticket sales?
From the Powerball website, winners by states that you mentioned, 2-19-2014 drawing. More people in each of those states had 1 + PB than people in Louisiana had just the PB.
Powerball
New York
Powerball
Florida
Powerball
Louisiana
Powerball
I asked for $5 of Fantasy 5 and the man said " all on the same ticket?' I said "Yes". Then he hand me 5 Mega Millions ticket. I just took it because people have won on mistake tickets. Fingers crossed.
Good Luck
$195 MILLION
Back in 2011, before the onset of the $2 Powerball ticket, MM was producing on a 15th draw a jackpot greater than $300M annuity, this with a much higher cash to annuity ratio.
If you look, between the competition with the $2 Powerball ticket, and the far worse odds associated with the new matrix, the much lower expectation value, the reduced lower prize levels, sales for this game are way off, as, I think, they should be.
I know I'm saving money on lottery tickets since the changeovers in PB and MM. I'll still play for the giant jackpots, but unlike before, I'm out with the jackpots less than $200,000,000 annuity.
There has never been a MM jackpot winner in Florida. Not yet at least.
How low American intelligence has gotten we now see even lottery thru our political divisions?
Congrats on a new low.