The Mega Millions jackpot has hit a record $355 Jackpot and because of all this publicity the 12 participating states agreed to move the drawing to Times Square instead of Atlanta, Georgia. Lines here in Times Square and all around the city are long, standing at the vendor’s booths all wanting a chance at winning this record breaking fortune.
Mega Millions officials raised the estimated payout at midday from $355 million to $370 million, if taken as annuity. The jackpot’s estimated cash option value was $221.1 million, before taxes.
The odds of winning: about 1 in 176 million.
The jackpot, which is determined by tickets sold, has increased from an estimated $340 million yesterday as sales have topped expectations, according to a Mega Millions statement. The lottery will be drawn at 11:00 p.m. New York time.
It’s the biggest jackpot in U.S. lottery history, exceeding the $365 million multistate Powerball drawing last year won by a single ticket sold to a group of eight ConAgra Foods Inc. workers in Nebraska. The next-largest was a $363 million jackpot in a lottery known as the Big Game, which involved seven states and became Mega Millions when five more states joined.
In case you are the next winner, here is advice on how to spend all that money.
Will you buy a ticket? Well, its only $1 and it could be your big break! As the lottery’s motto is: “You Never Know…”. So Far I bought one ticket, here are my numbers: 1,2,4,8,13 and the Mega Ball is 16! Good luck to myself and all of you.
If I do win this jackpot, it has been worth it my standing 10 minutes in this 12 degree freezing weather in line for my ticket…
