Lottery Fever: Mega Millions, Powerball Jackpots Grow
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Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Lottery fever is spreading across the nation as both the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots reach eye-popping numbers.
Since no one won the jackpot in Tuesday’s Mega Million drawing, the pot has swelled to $154 million — or a $115.2 million cash prize. The jackpot increased from $139 million last week.
Powerball players, meanwhile, are grabbing tickets in the hopes of capturing the $270 million jackpot, or a $175.8 million cash prize, in Saturday’s drawing.
The Powerball jackpot swelled after no one matched all the winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing. Four tickets just missed the jackpot, including $2 million winners sold in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nebraska, and a $1 million winner sold in New Jersey.
Likewise, not everyone went away empty-handed in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing. In Pennsylvania, two Mega Millions tickets worth $250,000 each were sold at retailers in Philadelphia, the state’s lottery officials said. Three other people across the country reportedly also won the $250,000 prize.
The next drawing for Mega Millions, played in 42 states as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, will take place at 11 p.m. Friday.
The odds of winning Mega Millions’ top prize are about 1 in 176 million, while your chances of striking it rich with Powerball, offered in 44 states, are one in 175 million.
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