By Todd Northrop
Will an incredibly lucky lottery player win a life-changing windfall this week, or will the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game enter into the realm of $200+ million jackpots?
We'll find out Friday night, when the $173 million Mega Millions drawing takes place.
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 14 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on Nov. 4 as a $12 million grand prize.
The lump-sum cash value stands at a staggering $129.5 million.
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 Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 9 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250,000 prize: 2 from California, 1 from Georgia, 1 from Illinois, 2 from Ohio, 1 from Pennsylvania, and 2 from Texas.
The two California winners will each be awarded prizes of $319,493, because California awards all prizes in a pari-mutuel formula, which calculates the prize amount based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners in each prize category. All the other Mega Millions states award fixed amounts for all non-jackpot prizes.
Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $21 million from its previous amount of $152 million. The cash value was raised by $15.9 million, from its previous amount of $113.6 million.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Friday evening at 11:00 pm Eastern Time.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 42 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The latest state to join Mega Millions, Louisiana, became the 42nd Mega Millions state during the current jackpot run-up, on Nov. 16.
For a complete set of game descriptions, results, history, and all questions regarding Mega Millions, lottery players are encouraged to visit USA Mega (www.usamega.com), a Web site that caters to the Unites States's two multi-state lottery games, Powerball and Mega Millions.
The Friday night Mega Millions winning numbers will be published at USA Mega minutes after the drawing takes place.
Yes, Todd I will be that incredible person to win the massive 200+ millions jackpot. As a matter of fact, i'm giving the winning numbers that will come out. 02-07-19-40-51-15.
It's gonna be a Merrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry Christmas in Pennsylvania !
if thar was ever a LP member that deserved a XXL piece of coal in thar stocking U'd get my vote
Boy ,would that make my day..Well best of "LADY LUCK " to all my LP family....
Wow wouldn't that be an amazing Christmas present! Good Luck to all and Happy Holidays
I'm going to win the PowerBall jackpot,tonight!
And the self-jinxing continues.
In a way it's kind of kind of entertaining.
It's kind of silly to describe $173 million as a life-changing jackpot, when even the smallest jackpot is life-changing. Raise your hand if $12 million or $20 million is not life-changing, and I'd like to have dinner at your mansion.
The key to winning a lottery jackpot is buying a lottery ticket with the winning numbers on it.
Patience is a virtue when playing the lottery.Winning a lottery jackpot is all about PATIENCE.
Ohhhhhhhhhh Noooooooooooooooooo ................. not self-jinxing !!!!!!!!!!
Merry Xmas to all and I hope someone here win tonight's powerball
You're not the only LP member who will probably feel that way when the next jackpot winner steps forward to claim the prize.
I wish all of the nice people a Merry Christmas ...............
I am hoping for Pennsylvania to get our first Mega Millions Jackpot on Friday !
See one thing about the united states lotteries they will let 1-2 people win when the jackpots are extremely high.
I think the lottery should be divided because they do control it and they know when they want the jackpot to be hit.
I think it will keep rolling as well as the mega millions.
You are absolutely right dude. They control the lottery. They know exactly when to make someone win it. Since this is Christmas, they gonna make it go really high so people could get excited. They might even let someone win it after the new year. That someone can be you, me or anyone hodling a ticket. I don't mind sharing the number that i'm going to play which is 02 07 19 40 51 15. I'm not a greedy person. i don't mind sharing it with others.
If you take a look at MM jackpot history, you'll see that it has grown to over $100 Million every December since 2008 so I'm not surprised to see another one this year - the media jumps all over the huge jackpot and people start spending more than they can afford because they're all hyped up on the possibility of becoming instant megamillionaires.
I spent my usual $3.00 on my two regular set of numbers and one QP - if I win that would be great but I'm certainly not betting the farm on it that's for sure. I truly believe winning is random and If it's for ya, it's for ya no matter what State you live in or how much you spend!
I would like to be Oregon's first mega millions winner for this jackpot on friday. Good luck to me!-weshar75
Wealth is not Greed ........... Wealth is opportunity !
The envy of someone else's Wealth is Greed !
When I win a very large jackpot by myself ........... I will be able to give much larger donations that will have greater impact than smaller donations ..............
I love it when 1 person wins a very large jackpot ............ the Greed of Envy Crowd has a fit ............
I just spent an incredible $2 on quick pics for Friday's Mega Millions ..............
Green with money is the way to go ...............
If a computer drew the numbers like ALOT of the state lotteries id say sure they control it. But with plastic balls tumbling around?
Everybody do not worry i got this one!!
really ? so i've been contributing $6 a wk. to you since the last win.
LOL!!!
Bet your bottom dollar...it won't be won in Maryland or the Virgin Island...
OH NO>>>>>>>>>HERE WE GoooooooooooooooAgain!!!!!!!!
When you use advanced play feature when buying your tickets you avoid the temptation to spend more than$1
per game which is the minimum you need to win it all. Next year I am taking it a notch higher and buying season
tickets so I won't have to spend more than is necessary. Two, five tickets are better than one but after playing for
a long time (8 years) and winning nothing to write home about, you wisen up some
Good luck good luck guys
I just luv to hear people say oh when I I win I will give large donations(which is b.s.) hoping this will help them win. Let me ask u this. If a stranger approached u while u were at say a fast food joint and said " can u buy me. Sandwich because I'm starving"? Would u or have u? I. Didn't think so. Everyone says I will do this and that for others when I win but already have more than others but look down at someone if they asked for a #1 off the value menu. Keep it real.
donations are tax deductible so it would make sense financially to do so... and in the process a charity will benefit. i also disagree with your negativity.
You have a good piont there......kyokubhin187......
What is your control theory? Multiple draw videos so they can cross reference with their database of picks currently in play? Tweak possible future outcomes with the help of remote-viewers?
Will MegaMillions go to December 30th or January 3rd? Those would be nice news worthy dates too.
If I win, I will never donate directly from the winning prize. I will set up the nest egg, then I will donate the portion of monthly investment income to the charity. Or, I will just set up my own. After seeing an Aston Martin with the logo of a school for blind, I stopped believing in ANY charity foundation.
I play but wait till cash option is $100 million. Probaly wait till New year's drawing. This has been beat to death revived at beat agian, but I'm gonna throw my 2 cents in. Cash option of course, Why pay max taxes for 26 years on returns that barely beat inflation? Verify that I did win. Hire cpa, lawyer(tax ,estate both?) and a fee-based cfp that I trust. Put $750,000 - $1 million in a seperate CDARS accopunt. that will be my Wheww! I won money initial expence money( car, house ,vacation, etc.) and to pay them. Was gonna say $500,000 but they might cost me more than I assume. Then tell him\her to invest in bonds ,blue chip stocks etc. mostly relativly safe investments (yes risk is involved with all of them) to get ~10% returns each year using munis to keep taxes down. Then put myself on a salary of $50,000-$100,000 a year to be put in the seperate CDARS account and roll rest back in investments. Never touch principal and watch it grow.
Hello guys, I'm sorry to budge in with a question that has nothing to do with this thread.
BUT...................
Here's my question, the powerball price per ticket, is going to increase to $2 and the starting jackpot prize would be $40 million, in early January. Let's say for all intents and purposes, no one wins the Powerball this year and it rolls until the enacment date, would the price still be values at $2 a ticket and the continous rolling jackpot, increase by the average amount of $40 million as stated, barring the prosperous estimated increase that usually occurs?
Thank you for answering my question if you can.
I have been the hungry person ................ and I would,and have, purchased food for someone .................
The "obvious conspiracy" continues ............... nobody won the Powerball ..................
For your information there are a lot of people who buy sandwiches for people who claim they are homeless, myself included. So we are "keeping it real".
TO everyone else, the best of luck to you! May someone here find the winning ticket under their tree, or in their stocking, or best of all in their hand.....
Someone with a positive comment ! How refreshing !
Great Wealth means Greater Opportunity .................
I asked the same question to the Iowa Lottery.They told me that no matter what happens the price of a Powerball ticket will go up to $2 per ticket.If it should get hit between now and the middle of January,the starting date for the price increase,they will adjust the prize "UP" so that it starts at 40 million dollars.If it doesn't get hit,they'll just start it at 40 Million dollars the next draw AFTER it gets hit.Either way,we are going to pay $2 for a ticket starting in the middle of January.$3 if you are going to add the power play option.
Thank you Cletus, that answers my question. Good Luck on the upcoming lottery.
Yes, of course. The MUSL, like the state lotteries, has teams of people who do nothing but see what sets of numbers have been played and then make sure everything is in place to make sure none of those sets hit, except of course when they want them to.
This is why no one should ever play a subscription ticket for any game, by doing so you are unknowingly having 'them' :TIN HAT: program everything for that set of numbers never to hit during the length of the subscription :TIN HAT:
Even the ping pong ball drawings are actually just holograms of RNG drawings.
Now you know.....
No problem.And good luck to you,too.Happy holidays!!
Well if you ever had the opportunity to visit Haiti and see how the UN and NGOs are living it up, you would stop donating to any charities that go to disaster areas AFTER the disaster is over! Charities execs and workers staying in apartments at Manhattan prices. Night clubs packed every night with NGOs and UN parasites. It just made me sick! But let me win. I believe that charity starts at home!
Oh and in case you didn't know, non-profit directors/CEOs usually pull in $500,000+ and the other high level workers make a nice living. No they aren't getting by on social service worker type pay! Non-profit just means the organization cannot show a profit. It doesn't mean the top people cannot get paid for-profit type money. Have you ever wondered why pastors and other high level church leaders drive such nice cars, live in nice neighborhoods, and wear new threads? I think OWS should focus on those type of frauds and leave hard working business men and women alone.
If a stranger came up to me and asked me for a sandwich, I would absolutely buy them a sandwich. I donate wherever I can. I just recently gave my Christmas tree away. Yes, my Christmas tree. This year, we splurged on a $50 blue spruce. Got it home and I was covered in hives in a few days. I put an ad up on craigslist, for a free tree. My only stipulation is that I wanted someone who really needed it, not someone looking for a freebie. the person who came and got it was so appreciative that they were going to have a tree. It made me feel good that I could do something, however small, for someone.
Financially, I don't have a lot to give, but I try to give in small ways. (I always make sure to drop off pet food at our local animal shelter and also 'buy a bag' to donate at my local grocery store for the food pantry.
I know what it's like to need help.
I would love to have a jackpot to be able to donate more.
"If a stranger came up to me and asked me for a sandwich, I would absolutely buy them a sandwich."
Thanks, I could really go for a hot corned beef on rye right about now. Make it two, I'm really hungry.
Be G@@D this XMAS all Buoy's and Gull's
Share UR toys and UR JackPots $$$$$$ 2
Hoe Hoe Hoe Merry XMAS 2 all Good Nite
dang, you guys are makin me hungry,i'll take the corned beef to,
only i like it cold w/ gold mustard don,t forget the pickle on the side,
i better call now for delivery,they'll get busy when when the game starts.
go houston.
Good Luck tonight everyone and have a safe and Merry Christmas!
lol!
Well once again those talking smack jinxed themselves.
Question for you all, how many times have you claimed a jackpot like that - "This one is mine", and how many jackpots have you won?
nobody won with those low numbers, im surprised.. 206 million now
Wow, bitter much? Who cares if someone is claiming it and it doesn't happen. I say let people dream. If you constantly buy tickets, thinking 'it's never going to happen'... Guess what? ITS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!
I thought that's why we ALL bought lottery tickets...to dream. I FULLY EXPECT to win!
Everybody hopes they are going to win or there'd be no ticket sales.
But to brag about winning a jackpot pre-drawing is a jinx, and so far that jinx has worked every single time anyone has done it on these forums.
Yes, the 'jinx' works on these forums, but how many 'lottery changed my life' stories have we seen where they said they were going to win....and they did. (robynn newton comes to mind...along with Cynthia stafford and another lady who told her boss she was winning a million dollars tonight and did)
Good grief, what a way to poop in someone's wheaties!
All things considered, not so many such stories. The one lady may have told her boss but did any of them get on a lottery forum on the internet and tell every one else not to bother playing?
I still say doing so is a jinx, and has proved islef on these forums every single time it's been done, bar none.
Do we really know for sure that no who has posted here has won? After all the teaching on this site about remaing silent about your win, could someone here possibly taken that to heart and acts like they haven't won?
Although statistically,you are probably correct by saying that, one can not jinx themselves by saying they have the winning ticket. Legally, every ticket is a bearer bond and a winner until the drawing. The ticket that I have for the next drawing is statistically not a winner. I researched the number and it has already been drawn in a prior year. But....I can still say I have a winning ticket until the correct number is drawn.
Besides, most of the fun is in the dreaming of winning. The work begins after the win......
zinniagirl,
Do you really think that anyone who would brag about winning a jp before the actual drawing could possiblly dummy up after winning it?
There is at leat one member here who won a Pick 5, twice in fact, but they don't brag about it.
As far as a MM or PB JP, doubtful.
You seriously think that's 'bragging'? I'd say more like 'wishing thinking' and trying to project positive thoughts.
be real good next year buoy and?or gull better not cry!
99% of the time it is meant in fun! There are some people who believe in "Name it and claim it"! That is their way to name and claim it. Everyone believes they can win it and they show it by buying at ticket. If they didn't think they could win, then they wouldn't buy a ticket. Just by stating you bought a ticket, means you believe you will win. Would that not be bragging then? It is all splitting hairs. I am too old to be splitting what little hair I have left. I am not looking for a fight, just merely stating my reasoning. You all may choose not to agree with it and that's great! This is what discussion is for.
To everyone, I wish you much success as you buy tickets for future draws. May the next ticket you buy be the last one you need to buy!
Oh yes, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!