By Todd Northrop
Lottery players across the United States are buying their Mega Millions tickets in preparation for Friday's massive $230 million drawing, after nobody won Tuesday's $205 million jackpot.
The cash value stands at a staggering $125.1 million.
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 16 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on October 4 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 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Florida, 1 from Illinois, 2 from New York, and 1 from Texas.
Only the winner from Texas purchased their ticket with the Megaplier option, and because the Megaplier number drawn was 5, they will take home a whopping $5,000,000 cash prize. The Megaplier offers players a chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes by the random Megaplier number drawn that evening for an extra $1 per play.
The Megaplier option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Megaplier is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts. By law, California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.
A total of 39 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $5,000 prize. Of those tickets, 7 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $5,318.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, November 26, 2013, were 27, 44, 59, 74, and 75, with Mega Ball number 3. The Megaplier number was 5.
Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $25 million from its previous amount of $205 million. The cash value was raised by $14.5 million, from its previous amount of $110.6 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $1 each.
A 44th Mega Millions state may be added in early 2014, as the state of Wyoming has approved a new state lottery with the intention of joining multi-state lottery games. (See Wyoming officially becomes 44th state with a lottery, Lottery Post, Mar. 14, 2013.)
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
I may need to move my $1billion prediction to jan 7th or 10th instead of jan 10th or 14th. Jan 7th would be awesome because thats my oldest daughters birthday, and 1 month away from mine.
For once, there are five second prize winners. Maybe a sign that a lot more players are into it now.
P.S. The winning $5 million ticket in Texas was a free quick pick. The lottery is running a promotion.
Although technically not "free" since it required an initial purchase, I'm sure it made the win that much sweeter.
Yeah I just cought that on Tx Lottery's website. You have to buy $10 MM on one tic and you get a free tic w/ megaplier. I haven't played that much myself, but it's pretty cool that it was a free tic.
I wonder if those 10 MM lines on one ticket are QPs because Ohio had a similar promotion on one of its games a few years ago but the play slips only had five boards. The only way you could buy 10 lines on one ticket was to ask for ten QPs.
Even though today you can play 10 lines on their Classic Lotto play slips there are only five boards on it and any addition lines have to be quick picks.
I was wondering that myself. I've been buying our pool tics. $12 worth, but I have picked the numbers lately, and I don't buy the megaplier. I haven't got the free tic, so I think to get the free tic I have to buy 5 tics w/ the megaplier to equal $10, to qualify for the freebie.
$230 MILLION: Mega Millions jackpot rolls
We all deserve a chance to win...
Everyone who buys a ticket deserves a chance to win but I'm sure if two or three hundred players matched all six numbers for the same drawing none of them would be a very happy winner.
I spent $2 .......... that is enough
I am hoping for the 1st Mega Millions Jackpot winner for Pennsylvania
1 Ticket .......... 1 Winner
IF YOU WANT TO PLAY MEGAMILLIONS, PLEASE PLAY IT WITH MEGAPLIER!!!. We all know that winning $1M 2nd prize is better than nothing. Keeping mega millions mind-numbing odds in mind, I cringe when people win the 2nd prize, but never bothered to add the megaplier. Take last night's drawing for instance, with a megaplier of X5, that's $1M instead of $5M or
instead of 
. With the extra $4M, you can put a lot of turkeys on the table, for the homeless shelter, do a lot of good in the community, solve a lot of problems for you and your loved ones, not to mention, buy a few shiny toys after taxes, of course and still have money in the bank. But you didn't spend the extra dollar to add the megaplier did you? Now you are sitting in the corner, sulking like a needy little grown-a$$ baby, holding a drumstick in your hand, muttering obscenities under your breath, all because you thought you were smart and didn't add the megaplier and now you feel like a ding-dong. Too bad you screwed up and good luck next time. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Maybe just maybe we might have a few more rolls, it is the holiday season. The jackpot did get up there a holiday season ago!.....lol
"IF YOU WANT TO PLAY MEGAMILLIONS, PLEASE PLAY IT WITH MEGAPLIER!!!."
Sorry no can do, will not do.
I think the MM will roll to Christmas maybe.
I have a feeling someone will hit the Mega Millions jackpot from Michigan. I just hate this. Some person hit the Mega Millions and there from Michigan. I'm not asking for alot but by my house. I wish they would fix the road. They said they will and it been 3 years or so. Still not fix. I was thinking about getting people to give money to fix it. Why not if someone hit Mega Millions and from Michigan. Why not give money to fix the road. If you live by me. It's 28 1/2 mile road. They have some great house but the road is really bad.
I would be happy with the million prize and since I added megaplier to my ticket I would be really happy. I have noticed that new york has had a nice run of second prizes these last few draws. So hopefully I get my million before new york gets the jackpot.-weshar75
No problem.
They're a dollar each.
Suppoe some of these 5+0 winners are really cringing....knowing they beat those odds an then there are just 15 Mega Balls but they just did not get it.
Another draw perhaps
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More second place winners then PB. Never thought that would happen.
MM sold twice as many tickets as PB and I think it will continue to do so.
You'll probably be saying something similar if someone wins the jackpot before Christmas too.
Smart players always add the megaplier. Big difference between $1M and $5M. $4M is nothing to sneeze at.
Yesseriebob they are!
I have a 5 ticket slip (4 QP + 1 Picked) with megaplier for $10 I've been playing, and have gotten the promo ticket. Have yet to play the numbers for tonight with the holiday and stuff. Will have to do so before tonight!
I'm ready, let my numbers fall.
They are double-cringing. First they missed the jackpot, and they did not spend a buck for the megaplier. $4M is a great consolation prize for for missing the jackpot had they spent the extra dollar. They may never ever pick a 5+0 again in their lives. $1.00 = $4,000,000.00, HUGE DIFFERENCE. Where can you ever find a deal like that?.
You assume all the 5+0 winners brought only one ticket and they could have won four times as much by spending an extra dollar but if they instead bought more tickets and one of the extra ones won then they are happy they decided to buy more tickets instead paying double for half as many. There's a HUGE DIFFERENCE between winning nothing and $1,000,000.00
It's being Black Friday, I think I'll pickup five of the cheap MM tickets for tonight's drawing.
Usually add the buck, but sometimes i wonder if adding the Megaplier would change the numbers. Just one of my weird lotto superstitions.
Agree......
However, roughly 87% of the time the 2nd prize tier value will be more valuable using Megaplier versus more tickets.
Even still, terrible odds for $5 million either way IMO.
Same here....
How did you come up with that 87%. Lottoreport publishes the regular ticket sales with those of the multipliers for both PB and MM and just looking at them I would think it would be a lot less.
Quick calculation by adding up the probability of a Megaplier prize higher than $2 million, since expected value for $2 million under MP is the same as the expected value of $1 million when buying 2 regular tickets. Odds: $3 million for 1 in 3.75, $4 million for 1 in 5, and $5 million for 1 in 2.5.
0.266667.... + 0.20000 + 0.40000 = 0.8666667 or ~87%
So 13% of the time the 2nd tier Megaplier prize will only be equivalent to buying 2 regular tickets instead.
Note I am not using the weighted Megaplier which would lead to overall lower value when taking into consideration all the prize levels. Just doing quick approximation for this particular prize level.
Your assumption about all the 5+0 winners, are actually baseless, and therefore has no merit. I simply stated the fact that, the cost of any single line of MM ticket with megaplier, bar none is an extra $1.00{promotions not included}. You can buy a hundred MM tickets with megaplier for $200.00, and if you are so fortunate as to have one line match 5+0, based on the X5 multiplier drawn, you win $5,000,000.00, that same ticket without the $1.00 megaplier, gets you only $1,000,000.00. That $1.00 you spent on the megaplier, for that single line that matched 5+0 is now worth $4,000,000.00 and that is nothing to sneeze at. The odds for MM are mind-numbing, and one might only have one chance in a lifetime, to get 5+0. I am definitely playing it with megaplier always. I don't dwell on I COULD HAVE PLAYED THE MEGAPLIER, I JUST PLAY IT. That simple $1.00 megaplier, might end up being the catalyst that eventually enhances multiple lives. In case you haven't noticed, there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between $1M and $5M.
Would be a great Christmas gift, Good Luck everyone!!
The media now have a barrier of about "275 MILLION" before they start running with it. If it makes it that far it will fly high
Of course it changes the numbers. If you turn left instead at an intersection you should easily be able to come up with 5 to 50 things that will be different than if you had turned right. Do you think everything else in the world will be exactly the same, just because you don't know exactly what causes them to change?
I don't understand why people would think that if they had done things differently one particular event still has to happen exactly the same way. As long as you know that some events will happen differently, you might as well assume that other events will also happen at least a little bit differently.
Of course it's a bit challenging to do a reliable experiment.
Playing for $1 Billion is nice, but it does not mean that the lottery will pick you as the winner.
Buying more lottery tickets increases your chances of winning. You should try it.
The lottery is numbers game. Buying more tickets per drawing increases your chances of winning the jackpot. I only spend $1 most of the time though. LOL
Turning $10 into $5 Millions is a great return on investment. Is the lottery considered an investment?LOL
Run the $5 play slip twice through the lottery machine, and you have spent $10 to qualify for the $2 free ticket.
Buying multiple lottery tickets confuse some lottery players. I wonder why? Maybe because it takes 1 lottery ticket to win?
99% of lottery players will never win a lottery jackpot in their lifetime. Good luck.
You will be the solo jackpot winner someday. Buying more lottery tickets increases your chances.
Your chances of winning the jackpot are very low with $2. Spend $100 to increase your chances of winning. I will spend $1.
I agree. Spending $100 on the Megaplier makes sense. How much do you spend $2 or $10?
You will never win a lottery jackpot. Do you believe me?
You have to play to win the lottery. You lose zero dollars by not playing. The choice is yours.
Spending more money increases your chances of winning.
Are you hitting the MM jackpot by spending $1? Good Luck.
Lottery players are spending more money on the lottery in New York.
You are spending more than $2? You are the lottery whale of LOTTERY POST.
Lottery players spent more money on the Mega Millions. You should do the same.
Buying more lottery tickets increases your chances of winning. Many lottery players do not realize it, because they are spending very little money per drawing. They buy 1 lottery ticket per drawing.
The lottery pick you as the jackpot winner. Do not forget to play the lottery someday.