Perry Graves didnt cross the state line from North Carolina to Virginia just to play the lottery.
Im up here to win the game! the Reidsville man said.
He was not alone.
Many Tar Heels flocked across the Virginia line and plunked down cash for a chance at the $155 million jackpot in tonights multistate Mega Millions game. The drawing will be at 11 p.m.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 135,145,920, but that didnt stop the steady stream of customers at Peoples General Store, just a mile and a half north of the North Carolina line.
Virginia is one of 11 states that participates in the Mega Millions lottery. For a dollar, you can pick five numbers and a bonus number for a chance at the jackpot, which has been building since early November. Because of a surge in ticket sales since Friday, the jackpot has jumped $30 million.
Jimmy Davis, a truck driver from Burlington, said he was picking up about $20 worth of tickets for himself and a friend. Ill probably have to pick up some tomorrow for the secretary, he said Monday.
Robert Ray from Greensboro said he had no plans for the jackpot as he stood in line to buy $30 worth of tickets.
Well, maybe Id buy me a piece of land with a pond on it, he said as an afterthought.
The $155 million jackpot will spike higher if no one matches the numbers in tonights drawing.
The Mega Millions lottery began in May of 2002 and replaced The Big Game, the lottery that awarded the largest jackpot ever in North America: $363 million.
A chance at that kind of money lures Reidsvilles Steve Lovings and his wife, Peggy, across the state line about twice a month.
Shortly after noon Monday, Steve Lovings stood in line at Peoples to buy his tickets. With her husband going for the big money, Peggy said shed stick with playing the Pick-3 lottery game with the top prize of $500.
Both had plans for what theyd do if they hit the jackpot.
Id have fun, Steve said.
His wife had more practical plans. Id pay bills, she said.
Workers at the store, who said business had been steady all day, estimated about 90 percent of the tickets sold were for the Mega Millions game and about 90 percent of their customers were from North Carolina, which does not have a state-sanctioned lottery.
First in Flight was on most license plates in the stores parking lot.
If the jackpot is hit, business will slack off, said Sabrina Moore, a cashier.
Money prizes from $2 to $175,000 are available even if no one matches the numbers for the jackpot.
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