By Todd Northrop
As lottery fans have been discussing the revamped Powerball game, the United States's other huge multi-state game, Mega Millions, has been quietly and steadily increasing its jackpot.
Tuesday night we'll find out if the Mega Millions lottery game enters into the realm of $200+ million jackpots, or if an incredibly lucky ticket-holder wins a $171 million jackpot.
The lump-sum cash value stands at a staggering $124.7 million.
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 13 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on Jan. 27 as a $12 million grand prize — right as the Powerball game was hitting its stride at $170 million, before eventually reaching a staggering $336.4 million that was won on Feb. 11 by a Rhode Island senior. (See Rhode Island woman, 81, claims $336 Million Powerball jackpot, Lottery Post, Mar. 6, 2012.)
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 14 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250,000 prize: 3 from California, 1 from Colorado, 2 from Georgia, 1 from Maryland, 1 from Michigan, 1 from New Hampshire, 2 from New York, 1 from Pennsylvania, 1 from Rhode Island, and 1 from Virginia.
The three California winners will each be awarded prizes of $206,076, 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.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, March 9, 2012, were 9, 10, 27, 36, and 42, with Mega Ball number 11. The Megaplier number was 4.
Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $23 million from its previous amount of $148 million. The cash value was raised by $15.8 million, from its previous amount of $108.9 million.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Tuesday 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 on Nov. 16, 2011.
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 Tuesday night Mega Millions winning numbers will be published at USA Mega minutes after the drawing takes place.
I'm taking this one.
Last nights numbers took a little while to get. Anyone know what the technical malfunction was?
These large jackpots are a joke. It's not even exciting anymore when you see 1 ticket win. They should remove some numbers and increase the winners.
I had to go out of state to get my Tix...so its my turn to win (puttin the hex on Rhode Island
)
Its fun to see the jackpot roll when it starts getting this high. Ill get excited when the jackpot is won and I have the only ticket lol
Matched the MB and 2 numbers last night for $10... and on my birthday! Woot! Best win I've had in a very long time.
Wow i won $7 last night that is the most i've won in a long time but I am aiming for the jackpot on tuesday. I'm ready to be the first person in Kansas to win a MM jackpot!!!!!!!!
Good Luck Everyone!!!!
A joke? I think not.
I'm not laughing yet,but I'll be laughing all the way to the bank when I win!
It's Hammer Time.
CO will be the next MM winner...............
Texas hasn't had a winner in a while, we usually get one a year and it's been about a year if I remember right. I'm volunteering.....
Actually, I'd like to see it roll again, just for fun.
If I don't win it, I hope you do.
Oink>>>>>Oink>>>> OINK$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
WheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeWhee>>>>>>>>$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$200+ million dollars
Congrats Kumo!
Well, if your from VA?, and it hit's you......
Please Please Please .....Let me win ...I''ll be good ....I promise.......really ..i will.....lol
It's not even exciting anymore when you see 1 ticket win. Only 'cause I ain't seen my ticket win. Yet.
They should remove some numbers... They should remove the numbers I didn't play.
I could muster some excitement ... I'd be all ...
let the rest of us have a chance
Try being good first and then maybe you'll be added to the list for consideration.
Please, just one more time in RI, please...........please...........please...........RI.........PLEASE????
Pretty please......with sugar on it????
That's so not funny! lol
I'd like to see the day when this Mega Millions game takes it to the $400 million mark.Breaking all the lottery records.Wow,can't wait for that day.Not only that,only one ticket winning it too!.
but then it would be nice and or funny if it did reach that level
I'm going to still post on here when I when Tuesday night, but I'm not telling anyone. Illinois hasn't won in God knows how long. That losing streak is about to end. So is me always being unlucky.
Keep wishing.
Oklahoma baby!!!!! Oklahoma hasn't had a Mega Millions Jackpot Winner, I will be the first.
Typo fixed: I'm going to still post on here when I hit Tuesday night, but I'm not going to tell anyone. Illinois hasn't won in God knows how long. That losing streak is about to end. So is me always being unlucky.
Roll baby roll!
This will.be about $81,000,000 in Federal taxes when I get the first Mega Millions Jackpot here in Pennsylvania!
No State or Local tax on lottery winnings here!
I am not childish or overcome with the greed of envy.
I am pleased when one person wins!
lololol DP, surely you jest !!!...you know it is going to be sold to a person who lives in FL and purchased the ticket while up north on vacation.
Mcminnville, Oregon. Circle K on third street. Please, that is all I am asking for now!-weshar75
TY Mcginnin :) Turned out to be a good B-day too. My Wife did not call me out on my new age at the restaurant we went to this evening. Got my B-Day wish and kept it all low key, lol.
See some folks making guesses at where the new jackpot winner will be this Tuesday, might as well throw in my two cents. Along the Gulf Coast or a Great Plains state. Good luck folks!
should i win now or wait till it gets larger?
Lol! Wait until it gets larger
Sorry CDana ....... I just put another $1 on this one to circumnavigate your trip to GA
you don't stand a chance now ................
ROTFLOLING ................
AND MARK THIS DOWN ..... WINNING TICKET SOLD AT THE ROADRUNNER ON BROADWAY IN THE 'DALE!
lol.that video brings back memories of freshman year in high school.
Your math is good but your geography is off a fair piece.
According to my calculations, it's gonna hit in uhh... hold on, I'm lookin' at the map... somewheres south of VA... Yep! Just as I thought, East Tennessee!
Don't worry i have this one won for Kansas, already told my husband to take sometime off work so we can get things taken care of.
Thank you all for playing!!!! lol
There will not be a Mega Millions Jackpot for the Flyover!
Western Pennsylvania gots this one ..........
we'll be cashin' in the Green!
Ridge,DP and Hearse ??? How much have you 3 been drinking out of the bottom of Ridges still anyways???
The winning ticket resides in the hands of a FL resident...pay attention you 3 
....darn kids never listen
The winning ticket is NOWHERE near any of those places
The way that they are busy, soon you will be able to win Fort Knox's gold reserve!
I prefer to eventually win 1 000 000 than surely not 200 000 000.
I desperately need to win this one so that I can afford to move-out of California(soon to be Mehico). This place is headed to the dump..
go to Rhode island to get MM grand prize
Go to RI to get any PRIZE!
U need 2 get contact w/rdgrhr:
He has a Lotto>>>>>>>>>>>INFLUNIZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA>>>>>>>on D>>>EAST COAST!!!!!!!!
What a bunch of racist pricks!!! We are all the human race. Get over your differences!! I hope a mexican wins on Tuesday.....no wait...I hope I win.... but stop bashing our dark skined brothers!!!
Quit trying to create a problem and make trouble where there isn't any with your politically correct BS, GuyBlow. Nobody said anything about anybody's dark skin and you know it. You're just another lib whiner searching for something to whine about. California is under invasion by illegal aliens and the democrats are welcoming them with Sanctuary Cities. Should we close our eyes and pretend it's not happening?
What if it was Canadian illegal aliens overrunning California? Would he be able to mention that? Could he say, California (soon to be Canada)? That would be ok with you, right?
Quit whining, GuyBlow.
Crawl back under ur rock repubrnr.....BOTH parties are corrupt as they are both bought and paid for. I am NOT a democRAT or a republicRAT......I am a human......get a clue!! oh yea....pass the moonshine. hiccup
Hey, psyko, I ain't had Influenza in years! I live in the mountains in the middle of nowhere and they ain't hardly no people around here no how to get me sick.
I don't even need no dang shots!
I never said you were a democrat or a Republican.
Wake up, GuyBlow.
Ridge....are you being hard on the help again ????
...I am going to go back and see how this started, after all its about 171 million jackpot rolling. ..Course, you know that the winning ticket is setting in Central Florida 
I found it....."
What a bunch of racist pricks!!! We are all the human race. Get over your differences!! I hope a mexican wins on Tuesday.....no wait...I hope I win.... but stop bashing our dark skined brothers!!! courtesy of BuyLow a few lines above
Guess THAT ONE came out of left field.....Whoa Nellie......yikes, how did that get into the mix ??? (shaking head) ........Very immature IMHO......Okay, back to the subject at hand........No more rolling over...$171 million is comin' my way !!!!!
Nah, he's ok, just very excitable.
I think you might have a second place winner there.
I feel the big winner's gonna be up this way a little bit though.
All the way up to southern Indiana!
This is gonna hurt my brain to type this but I agree with barbie/ridge on this one. But it isn't just Cali theyre taking over, It's the entire flipping country. Has nothing to do with racism, it's about National integrity. Just because it was built on immigrants does not mean we should just let anyone/everyone in indefinitely. Our resources are limited. This applies to all illegals not just Mexicans, Theyre just the largest offenders and the Dems turn a blind eye in hopes to get the Mexican vote. That said, You shouldn't leave, you should make a stand.
P.S I tried to keep my politics off this site unlike others but it seems unavoidable with all the antagonists. So, I give up. Can't beat em, join em right? So from now on I'll argue my politics anytime I see cause to do so, wether off topic or not. Don't care anymore because if the mod doesn't, why should I?
Oh and I'm gonna win.
Never ceases to amaze me how people still want to bring up the racism card. Except for a few isolated incidents, it has not been an issue in this country for a very long time. MLK's dream has been realized, opportunity abounds for every US citizen regardless of ethnic background.
Regardless of origin, illeagal immigrants are a serious problem in this country, they take your jobs, live off of your welfare system and they don't pay taxes. It's not just a Caucasian, Black or Asian opinion against non-citizens. Many folks of Hispanic descent who came to this country legally, don't want the aliens here either.
shoot them all and let the almighty figgure it out
Well, as long as we've gone off the rails and back into politics...
I think by now you've all figured out that I lean more to the left than to the right, but I gotta say, what part of "illegal immigration" is so darn difficult for some people to understand? Just because it's being done by non-whites doesn't mean it's automatically a race issue. I have no problem with Mexicans or anyone else coming over the border provided they go through the appropriate channels. Hey, I'm sorry that life sucks in Mexico, but Ellis Island was never a free-for-all, and our southern border shouldn't be either. (Neither should our northern border, but we don't really have a problem with Canadians sneaking into the country, do we?)
mediabrat,yea think thats right,
but there's a reason/reasons the longest,
unprotected border in the world is between us and canada,
California. The Mega always won there.
$200 million and counting
Gotta like that !!!!!...yeah, I know 145 Million minus ?% in taxes..... I think I can handle it.
Rollin, Rollin, Rollin,
Just keep it on Rollin!
Woot! Roll MM Roll!
#@*%)~+ Gotta spend more $.
I know the odds are already terrible, but are they worse if you buy a ticket a day or so before the drawing? I don't do it, but my mother always does it. I tell her to wait until that day, but she says she doesn't want to forget, so she buys them while she is out. I never heard of anyone winning off a ticket they bought Monday unless they were playing the numbers they always play. She plays her own the numbers, but she also buys QPs. She has a four dollar slip she always uses. The two rows of numbers she picked and two pick picks. It really has something do with the fact that we know two people who forgot to play on the day their numbers came out. Neither one has been right since. True story.
Always, always....always listen to your Mother.
okaaaaaaaaaaaaaay !!! am seriously annoyed
A Mother's intuition and efficiency are powerful things. :)
@Simba774 - For hand picked numbers, it should not matter what day you play. I don't think it matters for quick picks either, some player recently used year old numbers to win $250K in the Mega Millions. When I play QP's my resulting sets of numbers are usually statictically worse off than my regular sets, no matter what day of the week I play. Just might be my luck of the draw though. :P
If it's bad to buy a day or two ahead of time, I'm in big trouble cuz I buy for the month. One line of "mine" and one line of QP.
Maybe that's why I never win jacksquat.
But I have a way of dealing with it.
I drink a lot.
About your Mom?
(Not an exact replica, think I got the lipstick & eye makeup OK?)