Lottery behemoths Powerball and Mega Millions are discussing a possible arrangement to sell tickets for both games in the 42 states where they now operate alone.
The talks, however, do not appear aimed at combining the two lotteries into one super game.
Powerball is played in 30 states, including Pennsylvania and Delaware; Mega Millions is offered in New Jersey and 11 other states.
"We are aware of the discussions between Powerball and Mega Millions, but at this point those discussions are only preliminary," said Stephanie Weyant, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Lottery. "So it's premature to comment."
New Jersey Lottery director William Jourdain also has acknowledged that preliminary discussions took place, although nothing has been determined, according to spokeswoman Mary Ann Rivell.
The talks were hinted at by a line in Gov. Corzine's new budget estimating that Powerball could bring in $10 million for the state.
But that won't happen without an agreement between Powerball and Mega Millions.
"As of right now, states sell one or the other, or neither," Weyant said.
Offering both could boost revenues, because players would see more of the huge jackpots that make sales soar.
On Feb. 28, a Powerball jackpot worth $174 million was hit by two tickets, one sold at the Plymouth Meeting Mall, and the other at a Dover, Del., liquor store.
Three days later, a single ticket bought in Toms River, N.J., won a Mega Millions jackpot worth $216 million.
This will be fascinating to follow to say the least. The politics of this are very interesting.
It would be better to combine them and make three or four draws per week. Otherwise, people would rush to the one with a higher jackpot, and this jackpot would grow much faster. Then after a winner appears, people would rush to the other one. So people would switch between the two. The only benefit is that there would be four chances per week for a grand prize, so that people would spend more money (that is what they want). But are most people going to buy four tickets per week, or just buy two for the one with a higher jackpot?
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I think it would be a great Idea,to combine the two,or have mega millions in the same states that play power ball.
I think combining the games would be a very bad thing for players, because it reduces the number of choices, and would make the odds of winning way too remote.
However, allowing states to sell both games would be awesome for players. Giving players four chances per week to win a big multi-state jackpot would be fantastic.
These talks are very encouraging, I hope they are successful.
If they combined the two games they would have to change the matrix and that would make the odds astronomical against winning.I do like the idea of states being able to play both games,though.It would allow more people to play both games and cause both jackpots to rise faster.I live in a Powerball state and just a couple of miles from a Mega Millions state,so I already play both games twice a week each,Tuesday & Friday for MM and Wednesday & Saturday for PB.I wish they could figure out a way to have a mega jackpot game on the other three nights,too.
Combining MM and PB would create a monopoly, any time you get a monopoly everyone loses, especially the players. Competition keeps everyone on their toes.
Hope this proposal goes through so we can play the game of our choice. I personally regretted the day Powerball was no longer available in Georgia.
What's next, MegaPlier?
I think it would be kind of cool to have access to both games. I wonder though, how this would effect sales of both the games.
This is awesome...
This will increase the number of lotto wanna be crackers...
This is trully an awesome idea...
SWORDFISH....from movie swordfish...
LOL
Wow that would be interested...I won't have to drive across town to buy powerball ....
IMO, I think it was be fabulous to have MM and PB in the same states and no, I don't think they should combine them for all the reasons already mentioned by others here.
We want both!!!!!
I like your thinking!
I want to Megaply the Power Play! (QuadUp?) 
But this will practically kill off state lotteries. If Californians can play both MM and PB, why would they ever bother to play Super Lotto Plus?
California has not lost anything -- they gain a lot more by adding Mega Millions. Yes, adding another jackpot game to a state takes *some* money away from another game. That's only natural. But overall the state gains a lot more than that one game declines.
In fact, because SuperLotto Plus is drawn on Wednesdays, the state gains from all the people who play both games.
Do you think a state would add a game if they would lose money as a result? Never in a million years!
Besides, if it would lose money for the state, it's not like they would be forced to participate in both. They are merely talking about the possibility of doing it. It would be up to each individual state to decide what mix of games their residents would like to play.
Individual States wouldn't they have to approve also? nj was exploring this already, now I guess the PB/MM people are taking the idea further?
I would usually play at least 1 ticket in the "other" game and more of the one with a higher jackpot. Separate algorithms. The upside will be that there will almost always be a drawing that night for one of the two. I think some will play whatever is drawing that night. With equal jackpots I would go strongly for MM because it's easier to win and I do better with it. The downside is, no excuse to go to PA except maybe to try the new Super 7 and the confusion of people who will be confused between the two, and maybe trying to play their favorite numbers for the "other" game and finding a # is outside of the matrix, or asking for MM and meaning for PB or the clerk making a mistake that way. "Yeah I want the one with the ball in it, the big one, what's it called...? Mega Ball???"
i think people are going to guide themselves by the jackpot the higher the more they will play...
when MM & PB are high, SUperLP will suffer but when all 3 are low it will not...that's how i see it...for super Lotto plus to stay competitive with MM & PB, i feel they will have to increase the price of super Lotto plus tickets to 2 dollars...but i also feel people would think? Oh more choices, great...but i bet they will spend 2 dollars per game...
i meant to say it will increase the number of wanna be lotto crackers....
this is a magnificent idea...
Offering both games would be awesome, but combining them would be insane. It's hard enough to win Powerball with odds of 1 in 195 million.
That will save people from crossing state lines to play either one or both games.
Hey...if you are going to do it...dont take the next 10 years to tease our fantasies and we all get too old for too much excitement...get it done within the next year or two
The jackpot will reached 100+ millions by the third draw if there's no 1st prize winner(s). With two multi-states games available the excitement will never stop...unless people are used to the 100 Million mark by the second week, and is expecting 400+ millions to have any wow factor. Still, would be great to have the option to play both.
as the matrix goes up even when u add1 more state, how mad will it get with both games basically adding double their penetration will the odds of winning double?
There's always a possibility .... although very remote ... if MM & PB tickets were sold in all states both organizations might consider rolling back matrices to previous sensible levels.
From my perspective both games have long since ceased to be fun they once were due to high matrices. If something isn't fun I don't purchase tickets.
I'm thinking it's more PB/MM people coming into some agreement to allow states they have contracts with to open up the chance for the competing game to also be played in the same state. I'm almost certain that MM and PB have exclusivity clauses in their contracts with the states.
Anyway, IMO this is still not to great an idea, while it will lead to another option to players and also easier since people wouldn't have to cross state lines to play the other game. It still could affect how each game rolls because it'll be which ever game has the bigger jackpot that gets the attention and even still it could split sales when people only choose one game to play over the other due to the JP amount and we all know most people won't care about the odds or even know them. On the other hand it would open up the chance to win four times a week though how many of those people would have just spent two dollars on the one game instead of one for each? Eh, I anyway I could see it being both a good and bad thing. The worst thing that could happen though is the games merging. The odds for the jackpot would have to be monstrous and I kind of like how MM is only played in 12 states, even if I have a snowball's chance in hell of winning.
I like both games !!!
It would be nice to play them both.
I only get to play MM when I travel.
Happy Sunday.......
..........I totally agree with "Someday The Mega".........totally, especially considering that most of us play the MEGAMI$$$$$ & PB.....throughout the week, even if we have to cross the border to do it...
I play MEGAMI$$$$$ in Maryland and play the PB GAME on CAPITOL HILL in the District of Columbia Washington......;...) I will continue to cross the border to play regardless of the $$$$$$ in the Kitty........after all, a win is a win.......and 25-50-75-100MI$$$$$$ is more than I started out with when I played the games.....but it would make it easier to play PB if Maryland could offer it too.......
i totally miss the part that they will be played in all the states...Oh Lord, you will see jackpots of 100 million by the end of the month...LOL..
You see this is what i am talking about this is so great...
but wouldn't they increase the matrix, if all the states are going to participate they are going to have to increase the matrix/configuration...
but i also hope that all states put a win for life or Hot Lotto or Pick6/42 or PIck6/44....
but something lots of us don't see, is that if all players that play play 2 or 3 dollars 1 dollar for Powerball, 1 dollar for MM and 1 dollar for the Pick6/42 then there will be winners of the jackpots a lot quicker...
we would love to have it here and fl hell we just got powerball here!
Oh Yah I had a question does anybody know which states allow anonymity? Does CA and MI allow it?
Thanks
I think that the lottery officals have no clue as to what goes on at the terminals and the nite-mare the sellers would have in selling the tickets. Sales would be up in those games now if the sellers had an interest in the peoples buying lottery.The retailers who are selling pb in fl are afraid to do your tickets because you can't cancel them,you ask for tickets and the retailer in most cases have to size you up before running your tks. some even question the cards that already filled out. It would be nice to have lottery parlors where ther is only games played.
With all the fast growing jackpots with both games in all states would turn the players off. Doubling up on the daily games have not increased sales as expected
so why would the mm/pb be any differnt.
interesting is the key word 2 me!!!!!!!!!!!
BUT<><>?????why COMBINE?????????
why should "D" B>>TONKING?????????
WHY IS >>"BIG">>BETTER>?????????
WHAT "BOUT" >>>"D" CHILDREN????
WHY make the JACKPOT impossumble!!
WHY do DA make D "little people" who
BUY ALL DEASE LOTTO "TICKET"$$$$$
have2 eat road-kill 2 afford D
thousand'$$$$$$$$$$$ of MO ticket's
in HOPE's of hitting a JACKPOT$$$$$$
translation:
COMBINE & CONQUER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PUT D Lottery player in "SLAVERORY"
"D" rope get'$ tighter 4-UR "MONEY"!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"FUN" Bro!!
PSYKOMO
The state of California has nothing to lose. But Super Lotto Plus will be less and less an attractive game to play. There's no guarantee that Californians will win MM jackpot all the time. (it never happens.)
LESS<<<<<<<CONTROL>MEAN'$$$$$$$$$
"NO">>>>>>>CONTROL<<<<<<<<<<!!!!!!!
(hey) little thing <<<let psykomo lite UR>>>>
candle>>>>>>>whata tonkin MM & PB?????
GIVE>>>>>>>"D" CHILLION a "chance"!!!
Thank'ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
psykomo
I like the idea of selling the all states selling for both games. Honestly I would play both!!!
Exactly I only play Powerball when I happen to be driving in states that have the game.
By adding another 130 million more buyers to each game, what do you suppose the new matrix's will be like...remember they raised the matrix by some 50 million combinations in powerball, when they just added Florida (14 million people). My contribution to the games would go down to $2 per game just to be in it.
I think having both lotteries is a great idea. That way I don't have to drive to Connecticut to get Powerball tickets. I see it killing the individual State lotteries though. Combining them is not a good idea either. Variety is the spice of life.