An air of excitement and wistful speculation surrounded lottery players across the state yesterday, as the jackpot for the Mega Millions game climbed to $355 million in anticipation of last night’s drawing.
Across the country in 41 states yesterday, 240,000 tickets a minute were being sold, sending the red hot jackpot to its third-highest in game history, according to Massachusetts Lottery spokesman Dan Rosenfeld, with an estimated cash payout option of $220 million.
The drawing was held just after 11 p.m., but Rosenfeld said any information on the sale of winning tickets would not be released until this morning. The winning numbers were: 4-8-15-25-47, with a Megaball of 42.
“Sales are a lot higher than we anticipated,’’ Rosenfeld said last night. “As of 6:45 p.m. we’ve sold nearly 6 million tickets in Massachusetts today alone.’’
The last drawing took place on New Year’s Eve, and in just four days the jackpot has jumped by more than $100 million.
Last night, many retailers said lottery sales were up significantly, as scores of would-be winners poured into convenience stores and other establishments to purchase last-minute tickets.
Andy Morgan, who works at the Common Ground Cafe in Methuen, said the atmosphere there has been chaotic.
“It is crazy,’’ Morgan said. “You’re just seeing all kinds of people coming in that don’t normally play. Lots of new faces.’’
At Border Bets & Butts in Attleboro, Chris Thornhill said business was booming.
“Lots of different faces grabbing those Mega Millions tickets,’’ he said. “But even the regular customers are buying more than usual.’’
Rosenfeld said the timing of the drawings, coming over the end of the holiday season, has been a boon to lottery sales.
“There’s a lot more commerce going on,’’ he said. “And when people are out more often, they buy more lottery tickets.’’
Of course, there is also the sheer size of the potential winnings.
Massachusetts lottery agents have sold about $26 million in tickets over the course of this 16-draw series, which has failed to produce a jackpot winner. The tickets have raised $11 million for cities and towns.
If no one won last night, the next drawing will take place on Friday.
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Lottery suspense builds in Mass. for $355m prize
Thank you, Hurley! 'Lost' numbers pay off as winning Mega Millions numbers
Maybe Hurley's not so unlucky after all. During Tuesday night's lotto drawing, more than 26,000 people won $150 each simply by playing the lucky Mega Millions numbers that Hugo "Hurley" Reyes used to win the $114-million jackpot on "Lost." Interestingly, winning the lottery brought Hugo bad luck on the show.
Four of the six numbers selected in the real-life $355-million lottery matched Hurley's picks. The winning Mega Millions numbers were 4, 8, 15, 25, 47 and 42. Hurley's winning numbers were 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42.
Though he reported different figures, "Lost" executive producer Damon Lindelof happily Tweeted about the winnings. "9,078 people played Hurley's numbers in the MegaMillions tonight, each winning $150. #THATSSORAVEN," he wrote.
On "Lost," Hurley's magic numbers were a major recurring theme. They often popped up in the lives of several characters, and toward the end of the series, they were found written inside a cave, with castaways' names corresponding to different numbers: John Locke was 4, Hurley was 8, Sawyer was 15, Sayid was 16, Jack was 23, and Kwon was 42.
Meanwhile, Jorge Garcia, the actor who played Hurley, has been bombarded by reporters. "A tabloid news show just showed up at our FRONT DOOR hoping to get an intvw with Jorge about last night's lotto #s," Tweeted his girlfriend. "Is this really our life?"
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HGTV Dream Home 2011: Your Family’s Chance to Live in Celebrity Style! (Video)
Have you ever dreamed of living in fine celebrity fashion? With the HGTV Dream Home 2011 giveaway, you have your chance of snagging the celebrity lifestyle without the paparazzi!
Keep reading for details on the 2011 HGTV Dream Home and see how you can enter to win the fabulous home!
Fantastic home with all the amenities nestled in the mountains of Vermont. Conveniently located near the area’s best ski resort with 5 star restaurants and celebrity clientele. That’s just a taste of what you could win in the 2011 HGTV Dream Home.
For the 15th annual HGTV Dream Home giveaway, the network turned to the pictureque New England town of Stowe Vermont. Up for grabs is a completely furnished dream home with plenty of room for your family. Decked out with all of the latest and greatest furnishings and design upgrades, this is truly a dream house!
If you want a chance of winning the 2011 HGTV Dream Home you can enter the Sweepstakes twice daily by visiting HGTV.com and Frontdoor.com through February 18, 2011. The winner will be announced in March.
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West Virginia Lottery Bowl Report
ORLANDO, Fla. - A West Virginia Lottery Champs Sports Bowl report on the WVU Mountaineers continuing their preparation for the game against NC State on Tuesday, Dec. 28. This report features interviews with Keith Tandy, Chris Neild, and Head Coach Bill Stewart.
Be sure to catch the Mountaineers360 Champs Sports Bowl Special Monday night at 7 p.m. on MSN affiliates throughout West Virginia. Check your local listings.
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Mega Millions Jackpot Rises To $237M
Drawing Is New Year's Eve
DENVER -- Seven months after the multistate lottery game Mega Millions came to Colorado, the jackpot has risen to $237 million. It's the largest Mega Millions jackpot since Colorado joined the game in May 2010.
Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays. The game is played in 41 states and Washington, D.C.
The Mega Millions jackpot starts at $12 million. No one has hit the jackpot since Oct. 29.
Mega Millions costs $1 per ticket. Players select 5 out of 56 numbers, then select 1 out of 46 for the Mega Ball number, according to the Mega Millions website. Players can also pay an extra $1 for a Megaplier that multiples your winnings up to 4 times the original amount (excluding the jackpot). The Megaplier is drawn before the Mega Millions winning numbers are drawn.
Mega Millions was created in 2002 in nine states. Learn more about Mega Millions on the Mega Millions website.
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