Thread: Mega Millions Jackpot Climbs to $201 Million

Mega Millions Jackpot Climbs to $201 Million

42 mins ago

Nobody got lucky during Tuesday night's Mega Millions game, which means Friday night's game is going to have an even bigger and more alluring jackpot. Right now, the Mega Millions jackpot sits at around $201 million; the cash option is $128.3 million. Tuesday night's numbers -- 10, 11, 12, 28, 43 and a Mega Ball of 45 -- did not show up on any of the millions of tickets that were sold. The jackpot has been steadily growing since Feb. 1, when a $43 million prize was claimed by winners in Michigan and Indiana.

Lottery fever is sweeping the 43 jurisdictions where Mega Millions is played. All across the U.S., people are trying their luck, hoping to be big winners for Friday's game. A single ticket costs just $1, which makes it tempting to buy at least one; after all, people from all walks of life have become winners in the past. Although Friday's jackpot isn't the largest in history, it ranks near the top. The largest Mega Millions cash payout happened earlier this year, on Jan. 4, 2011, when players in Washington state and Idaho split the $240 million prize.

Mega Millions has been around since 1996; at that time, it was called the Big Game. Its name was changed in 2002 and has remained the same ever since. The game is notable for being played across a wide number of jurisdictions; its jackpots always start at $12 million, which makes them very visible and appealing. Winners can opt for 26 cash payments -- otherwise known as annuitized payments -- or they can receive their winnings in a single cash lump sum. People routinely opt for the lump sum payment, and jackpots are often split among multiple winners.

The largest payout for a single lottery ticket happened in February 2006, when a Powerball jackpot with an annuitized payout of $365 million was won by eight people who worked together at a meat processing plant in Nebraska. In that case, they opted for the $177 million cash payout. Friday's game may not top those numbers, but it is exciting enough to prompt plenty of buzz.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110316/us_ ... 01_million

Holy Smokes! ALIPAC, AIM and a few horse charities would hit the jackpot if I hit the jackpot...LOL!