Lottery Post Exclusive
By Todd Northrop
On Jan. 31, a multi-state wave will roll over the USA. 33 out of 44 states with a lottery (including D.C.) will begin selling tickets for both of the USA's nation-wide games.
Powerball and Mega Millions, the two premier multi-state lottery games in the USA, entered into a cross-selling agreement late last year, in response to state legislators seeking new revenue sources.
Previous to the agreement, states were permitted only to sell tickets for one multi-state game or the other. The cross-selling agreement removed that restriction, and gave each state the option of selling tickets for both games.
33 states have seized on that new option, offering tickets for both games on the first day of availability: Jan. 31.
The first Mega Millions drawing under the new cross-selling agreement will be Feb. 2, and the first for Powerball will be Feb. 3.
10 of the 12 states currently offering Mega Millions will add Powerball to their slate of games. All of those states will offer the Power Play option as well. Power Play costs an extra $1 per ticket, and multiplies any non-jackpot prizes won by up to 5 times.
23 of the 33 states and jurisdictions currently offering Powerball will add Mega Millions. All of those states will offer the Megaplier option, which is similar to Powerball's Power Play option.
The Megaplier is a number between 2 and 4 drawn in the state of Texas, and the Megaplier is currently offered only in that state. The Texas Megaplier number will continue to be used as the official Megaplier number in each of the additional 23 states offering Mega Millions staring Jan. 31.
Texas will continue to be the only one of the twleve current Mega Millions states that will offer the Megaplier.
In total, 182,000 retailers across the nation will offer both Powerball and Mega Millions starting Jan. 31.
Although twelve states/jurisdictions will not sell both multi-state games on Jan. 31, in the coming months most are expected to add the option to sell the other game not currently offered.
There are various reasons why some states are not immediately offering both games.
States such as Ohio and Montana have already announced plans to sell the other multi-state game, but require more time to prepare. In those states both games will be available likely in the Spring.
In Lousiana, the lottery has expressed a sentiment that one multi-state game is enough, and their gambling market is already saturated, but they are willing to revisit their "no" decision in the future.
Other states have to work through political issues to gain approval. The Florida Lottery, for example, was the last state to offer a multi-state game because of the political issues that need to be navigated in the state.
It is unclear whether the U.S. Virgin Islands will be given the option to offer Mega Millions.
The Web site USA Mega (www.usamega.com) will continue to publish the winning numbers, jackpot analysis, rules, frequently asked questions, and statistics for both United States multi-state games.
State-by-state breakdown
Starting Jan. 31, the following states/jurisdictions will offer both Powerball and Mega Millions:
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
States/jurisdictions continuing to offer only Powerball on Jan. 31:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- U.S. Virgin Islands
States/jurisdictions continuing to offer only Mega Millions on Jan. 31:
- California
- Ohio
Can't wait to play Powerball in N.J....
I can't wait to play Mega Millions in New Mexico.
I am not sure if this has been asked in other threads, but with so many states offering both lotteries, what will that do, if anything, to the odds on each game?
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/206915
Can't wait to play powerball in Michigan.
Chomping at the bit to play powerball in TX. Great timing as my PB pool numbers ran out 1-16-10 and I would have had to drive to LA to get new numbers.
I am so HAPPY about this. I like the idea of more jackpot winners as long as we still see an occasional 150mil+ jackpot for each one. What I hope we don't get is a lot of shared smaller jackpots.
The new states to add Mega Millions will have the Megaplier, while the current Mega Millions states still won't have the Megaplier (with the exception of Texas which already has it).
Am I understanding this correctly?
Can't wait to play Mega Millions in Pennsylvania !
Come on Mega Millions keep on rolling over for February 2nd !
PA will have the Megaplier !
I can't wait to play Mega Millions in Idaho. I love the fact, that I will be able to play two big jackpot games. I'm very excited!
I can't wait for MM. I am planning on playing them both.
Here's what I don't understand: if Vermont is going to sell Mega Millions (and don't get me wrong, I hope they do!)...then why haven't I heard anything from the Vermont Lottery or any other news source save for the CNN Money article posted here earlier this month? Their web site and the local news outlets have been silent on the matter, and thus far these two articles have been the only evidence I've seen that Mega Millions is coming to my home state.
So, Vermont Lottery: if you've got it, why not flaunt it?
Woohoo! I'm ready for MM! They've already got the play slips out, and I've hoarded some to add to my collection. lol
Yup, you got it. As dumb as it sounds, it is correct.
The info on which states are in or out comes directly from MUSL, so I am sure the info is correct and Vermont is simply taking extra time gearing up for it. I would agree that they should be flaunting it loudly.
They finally have an announcement on the official Idaho lottery site about Mega Millions, but they really don't seem to be advertising it much.
I'm gonna win Mega Millions on Feb. 2nd! Woo hoo!
What are pay slips? Do you just fill them out if you win, or do you use them to pick your numbers?
The play slips that you use when you pick your numbers
OK silly question but say one plays a power ball in a mega million state with the expansion and say person was lucky enough to have a winning ticket> which state collects the taxes? or would one pay multi state taxes
taxas was the beta test for MM trying out Megaplier, it worked out REAL will for them
plus the fact all the new states adding mm have been playing PB sense forever , that has a mutiplier already , they already "get it"
does indeed make the current old mm states without it look near stupid thro, give them time,maybe they come around LMAO
and i like to say, god bless jan 31st , the day we welcome 2 nation level lotto's
, i have been waiting for this day for some time, its so near,
and whats that in the air, is that sound jackpots growing? i think am falling in love already
hopeful both current pb and mm jackpots will keep rolling to start of next monrth, so we can TEST how fast we can grow these jackpots in record time highs,
makes me want to play
Limp Bizkit - Rollin'
jackpots Keep rollin' rollin' rollin' rollin'
Fortunately, I can play both lotteries now.
Will save time, gas and tolls to NJ with the Multi-state lottery expansion.
Living near the VA border I've been playing both games for a while now but it'll be nice to have MM with the Megaplier in TN.
I'll still have to go to VA to play cash5 though.
It'll be interesting to see what VA does with their P6 now - Win For Life, cuz it plays Wed and Sat same as PB. I'd like to see them drop it and start some kind of a new lotto game and have it on Mondays and Thursdays.
Yes, here comes Powerball in TX! Going to unleash my system on it.
Hello everyone, will they be adding more numbers to choose from on the lottery slips?
Finally, a little flaunting...from the Vermont Lottery's Twitter:
@Vermont_Lottery Mega Millions is coming to Vermont January 31, 2010. Don’t miss out on the fun!
Guess I just had to wait a day or so for confirmation
Jan 31 can't come soon enough for me.
Powerball back in Georgia again!
Yes we had Powerball in Georgia a short while in the mid '90's then dropped it for the Big Game which morphed into Mega Millions.
They probably read the comments here.
Shame on them if they don't!
They might be able to get away with it when the megamillions jackpot is higher than that of powerball. Nobody will buy mega millions in the states that wont offer mega plier when powerball jp is higher or even the same size.
The first powerball tickets in Massachusetts will be a collectors item of some sort.
And the last thing I want to see is those New Yorkers and NJ guys winning all the powerball jp's, <snip> those guys, they win everything ha ha ha
I just noticed that on a sign today, that NC will have the megaplier with it. Cant wait!!!!!!!!
Yeah! I can't wait to play Power Ball in Texas, finally.
That's 9 days away! Something to look forward to yippie!
Maybe Florida will start reading the comments.
According to the Nebraska lottery site, it looks like Nebraska will be selling Megamillions across the state by March 31st. Awesome.
It is wonderful to see the availability and the capacity of prosperity expand to a greater number. May the Law of Attraction bless each of you and your dreams be fulfilled.
well i finally saw the ads on tv about powerball coming to washington state. i am sad. my trips to oregon will fewer and further apart. Bummer!
I have a question, PB allowed you to collect jackpots privately. Will MM follow this attitude??? I would love to win, but I would love to secretly win. what about you!
I think your state determines if you can claim anonymously, not the game, as far as I know.
Personally, I don't care who knows. I'll be there the next day and I'll be heeled. And LadyMylena will be backin' me up.
I'm yer huckleberry.
Great!....Now New Yorkers can win all the Mega Millions jackpots in addition to the Powerball....LOL But sarcasm aside at least i'll save a few dollars in gas money when I want to buy MM tickets...
I just went to the NC lottery website and it has information and even a flash program about MM, but it doesn't mention anywhere WHEN it starts!!
Thank goodness for Todd!! I learn more here than anywhere else!
January 31, 2010 MM starts in NC!
1 more roll and that Mega Millions jackpot is mine!
States in green = states with both games
States in red = states with just Powerball
States in yellow = states with just Mega Millions
Green dot = will have both games, but after 1/31
Note : Delaware is miscolored, it will have both games after 1/31.
Can't wait to get Mega Millions it's about time.
I picked up some Mega Millions playslips when I went to get my Powerball ticket today.
USA Mega has been updated: https://www.lotterypost.com/thread/207966
Now that states have both Powerball and Mega Millions, it will be interesting to see how much faster the jackpots climb and how often they get hit. With Powerball at $107M, I can't wait to see how much it goes up if nobody hits it.
Watch there be a boom and the Powerball jackpot be updated lol.
Woo hoo! January 31st is here and I can finally play MM in OK. Too bad MM had a winner last Friday but I'll take the $12 million jackpot on Tuesday anyway. :)