Mega $242 million lottery prize jolts sales
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“Every once in a while,” said Guy, 46, of Everett.
Now is one of those occasions.
As soon as she heard Friday’s Mega Millions drawing was at $242 million, she decided to buy a ticket. She was at the counter at the 76 station mini-mart at Rucker and Pacific avenues.
“A lot of people are buying more than before,” said store manager Manjit Singh, adding that some people are spending $20 or more on tickets.
It’s those brisk sales that prompted lottery officials to increase the Mega Millions drawing $5 million over its previous projected payout of $237 million, said Scott Kinney, spokesman for Washington’s Lottery.
The Mega Millions jackpot has rolled over 14 times since the last grand prize winner Nov. 9, Kinney said. Each increase in the prize money is determined by sales, he said.
Mega Millions payouts come from a pool of sales in 41 states and Washington, D.C. A committee of 12 state lottery directors set policy for Mega Millions and meet by phone to determine increases in the prize, Kinney said.
The prize was increased an extra $5 million for the drawing Tuesday, he said.
Each set of six numbers costs $1. A player who matches all five white ball numbers, along with the Mega Ball number, has two options.
If anyone wins tonight’s jackpot, they could sign up to receive approximately $9.3 million a year for 26 years under an annuity option, or receive a single payment of approximately $154 million before taxes.
Smaller prizes are awarded for matching fewer numbers. Tickets will be available until 7:45 p.m., with the drawing scheduled for 8 p.m.
Friday’s jackpot is a big one, but it has a ways to go to tie the Mega Millions record of $390 million, the biggest lottery prize in history in North America. That prize was won and split by two ticket buyers, one in Georgia and one in New Jersey, on March 6, 2007, according to the Mega Millions website. At least nine other jackpots have been larger than Friday’s as well, with the 10th-largest listed at $258 million. Mega Millions started in 1996 as the Big Game.
Some local retailers said they’ve seen no increase in sales, and some didn’t even know about the big prize. Others, however, reported increased business.
“People are buying,” said Kul Bhushan, a clerk at the 76 Food Mart at 36th and Broadway in Everett. “People want the American dream.”Join Us On Facebook
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