By Todd Northrop
Lottery players across the United States are buying their Mega Millions tickets in preparation for Friday's massive $173 million drawing, after nobody won Tuesday's $160 million jackpot.
The cash value stands at a staggering $119.3 million. Lottery players typically think of the cash value as roughly half of the annuity estimate, but this Mega Millions cash value represents nearly 70% of the annuity estimate.
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 17 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on July 30 as a $12 million grand prize.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.
In the latest Mega Millions drawing that took place this past Tuesday night, there was no jackpot winner, but 6 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250,000 prize: 1 from California, 1 from Florida, 1 from Georgia, 1 from Maryland, 1 from New York, and 1 from Virginia.
The California winner will be awarded a whopping $713,203, since 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. Because there was only one second prize-winning ticket, that one ticket will take home the entire pool of money allocated for the second prize category.
Also, a total of 29 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. Of those tickets, 3 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $22,043.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, September 24, 2013, were 4, 11, 32, 39, and 40, with Mega Ball number 33. The Megaplier number was 3.
Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $13 million from its previous amount of $160 million. The cash value was raised by $9.9 million, from its previous amount of $109.4 million.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Friday evening at 11:00 pm EDT.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Major game change coming in October
Following the drawing on October 18, 2013, Mega Millions players will be able to buy tickets for the new Mega Millions game, featuring more "white ball" numbers and fewer Mega Ball numbers, a bigger starting jackpot, easier-to-win lower-tier prizes, and the possibility to win up to $5 million without winning the jackpot.
(See Mega Millions lottery game's redesign aims at bigger jackpots, better overall odds, Lottery Post, July 17, 2013.)
The first drawing to include the new game features will be on Oct. 22, 2013.
Lottery officials expect that the upcoming changes to Mega Millions will result in bigger jackpots that occur more often, without raising ticket prices.
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 Mega Millions winning numbers will be published at USA Mega Friday night, minutes after the drawing takes place.
$173 Million Woo Hoo
It is time for Pennsylvania's first Mega Millions Jackpot!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$150 WINNER.
I'll buy my 1 ticket
Congratulations Thrifty!
Congratulation Thrifty
Congratulations!!
Nahh A line from one my bruthuhs tickets gonne win so Florida can have first MM Jackpot win
hehehe
And congratultions Thrifty !!
$173M+...me like
Mega Millions fever has not struck yet as the jackpot increase this time was smaller than last time. Probably some player burnout from the recent $400 million PowerBall jackpot.
I'm definitely getting a ticket.
But wow, 17 consecutive draws and it's only at 173 million? Wasn't the record 656m run at 19 drawings?
Congrats Thrifty !!!
I'm definitely getting a ticket.
Good Luck everyone
PLAY THE LOTTERY SOMEDAY. IT IS OKAY TO DREAM!
THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY.
I wrote down that 656mill run at 18 drawings but I could be wrong. One more roll would have been 19 rolls and could have been above 900million. With the powerball being much smaller maybe the megamillions will pick up steam with more tickets purchased.
Congrats THRIFTY. Remember THE MEGAPLIER..3X for this draw. Oh well, a little something, is better than a little nothing.
"BEWARE" D IDE's of OCTOBER
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
me thinks I'll wait till it breaks the $200million mark
Good job Thrifty! USE powerplay!
I got my $5 worth and I would like to be oregon's first mega millions winner. Come on oregon!-weshar75
P.S. Congrats thrifty on your win!
You are correct.
The record $656 million jackpot took 19 drawings in which it had reached $290 million on it's 17th draw.
Nice win Thrifty. Congrats!
Below is a plot of the previous record MM JP of $656M on 19th draw, compared to current run which is much lower sales and is underperforming even more than expected. They seem to be expecting flat sales of around $31M for next draw,(#18) but that could change. This last big run is very erratic.
Orange lines is previous record run, blue lines is current run with projections:
If it makes it to the 25th draw, which is *possible* now with this new lower trajectory, that would be the Oct 22nd first draw of new matrix. Wouldn't they love that if it did make it. But the conspiracy theorists would be up in arms if it did.
Thanks for the info Jon. You are correct a record jackpot combined with the new Mega Millions matrix would be very interesting.
Congratulations Thrifty!! Finally someone on LP has a win!!
I'd be more than happy with $173M MM. I don't need it to go higher than it is. I'm sick of these Mega Jackpots going to other people than me.
Ready to Win The Mega Millions ..............
Pretty impressive graph you have going here JonD- l am of the mind that Californians especially Californians are having 2nd thoughts when it comes to both the MM & PB jackpots. Consider that PB was introduced to the State back in April a week before tax day and we have yet to get a winner or even a split for the top prize. Californians are impatient and perhaps the slow down in sales is one of the reasons for the dropoff, but then again l could be wrong.
I thought by now it woeld have increased to 200 million, I guess no one is playing, I did my part $20.00 unless get it up there so I can win....
Jackpot fatigue could definitely be setting in. Also, now that we are less than a month away from the new matrix, I wonder how much the dwindling advance play may be affecting the numbers. Of course, sales have pretty consistently turned the corner and went into overdrive only after the JP passed the $200M mark, and we're still a few draws away from that.
Texas joined Powerball in January 2010 and didn't get their first Powerball winner until May of this year. Over 3 years. Their sales are about half that of Cali's so it could be next fall before you see one.
Wow Jon, that is some chart. Did you do that yourself?
Hey Jill, if I win the $173MM Jackpot and I wanted to live off the interest, how much money would I get per year? Invested conservatively of course.
Congrats!
Good luck tonight everyone!
That is one nice return on investment of $10 dolalrs!
! Congrats Thrifty!!
THRIFTMEISTER!
I'm proud of ya, son!
I'da been a little prouder if you'da played the Megaplier though like I taught ya and won $450.
Listen to me next time and you'll be sittin' in the Catbird seat, son.
#AJO
#???
Did anyone win this jackpot prize? I need to buy my tickets. I'm hoping to win a jackpot prize as huge as this one! I can think a lot of possible things I can do if I win this huge jackpot prize.