After no one won the $425 million prize on Friday the 13th, Mega Millions’ ticket sales rapidly increased. Friday’s $425 million drawing showed ticket sales that were 40 percent greater than expected. In states, such as New York, tickets sold at an estimated pace of $500,000 an hour. Lottery ticket sales are expected to increase as the drawing gets closer. Tuesday is when the next Mega Millions drawing occurs.
Currently the Mega Millions’ jackpot is over $550 million dollars. To make the pot even sweeter, Mega Millions’ lead director, Paula Otto, teased to theAssociated Press that the prize could increase to as high as a billion dollars before the holiday season ends.
After hearing this, more people rushed out to buy tickets. The odds are obviously not in their favor, with a 1 in 259 million chance of winning, but believing in miracles is what the holidays are all about. Therefore, nothing will stop people from remaining hopeful about their chances of winning this huge prize.
The Mega Millions’ lottery ticket sales average about 20 million each drawing. However, when a huge price is announced, they reach far over a 100 million ticket sales. According to Lottoreport.com, ticket sales from March 23-30, 2012 were extremely high. These sales corresponded with the Mega Millions’ largest drawing in history. The $656 million dollar prize drew in almost 652 million lottery ticket sales. The biggest day of lottery ticket sales were on the actual day of the drawing.
For the current lottery, Friday’s ticket sales drew in 168 million dollars . On Tuesday, the ticket sales should be at least triple this number. On the other hand, it is unlikely to reach the same numbers as the March 2012 Mega Millions drawing, that is unless the prize does really increase to close to a billion dollars.
On Tuesday night, if no one wins, or claims their prize of the over $550 million, the tickets are sure to reach record highs – as will the prize.
But could it be pushing the Mega Millions’ luck to expect someone to not win again? Probably, but stranger things have happened, like people actually winning the lottery.
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