Mega Millions fuels California lottery sales record

Jun 24, 2005, 8:57 am (10 comments)

Mega Millions

Californians jumped on the chance to join a multistate lottery by purchasing a record $2.4 million on the first day of sales for the Mega Millions game, state lottery officials said Thursday.

The statewide sales Wednesday surpassed the $1.7 million sold on New York’s first day in 2002, officials said in a statement.

California is the 12th state to join the Mega Millions game, which had a U.S. record $363 million jackpot in May 2000. It also had a $331 million jackpot in April 2002.

Players pay $1 for a chance to match five numbers between one and 56 and a ’mega ball’ number between one and 46.

Without California, the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot were one in 135 million. With the state, the chances are one in 175 million.

The jackpot estimate for Friday’s draw was $42 million.

Legal questions have been raised about California’s involvement with the game.

The California Lottery Commission didn’t seek legislation authorizing participation and lawyers for the state Legislature said joining the game could violate a requirement in a 1984 ballot initiative that all lotteries run in California be controlled by the state.

AP

Comments

dvdiva's avatardvdiva

The big test is if it will take less drawings to get to the 100 million mark. Also currently it takes four drawings between 100-199 million and two drawings between 200-299 million. So to get to the 300 million mark would take 11 drawings pre-CA from where the jackpot stands now. Test will be if this takes less drawings or is even possible.

Tnplayer805's avatarTnplayer805

Imagine how crazy CA will get when the JP reaches $100-$200 million.  (What is the record on SLP?)

Deadsantaclaus

The big test is if it will take less drawings to get to the 100 million mark. Also currently it takes four drawings between 100-199 million and two drawings between 200-299 million. So to get to the 300 million mark would take 11 drawings pre-CA from where the jackpot stands now. Test will be if this takes less drawings or is even possible.

I Agree!

Tnplayer805's avatarTnplayer805

SLP's highest Jackpot is $120 million.  I bet they will go hog wild over a $300 million jackpot on MM.

Greg

I don't share the enthusiasm of everyone else.  Increasing the number field makes it that much MORE difficult to WIN

Why do we let ourselves agree to stack the odds further against us for an increased prize amount when that sum of money is made that much more difficult to win? 

Will someone please explain that to me? 

visiondude's avatarvisiondude

I don't share the enthusiasm of everyone else.  Increasing the number field makes it that much MORE difficult to WIN

Why do we let ourselves agree to stack the odds further against us for an increased prize amount when that sum of money is made that much more difficult to win? 

Will someone please explain that to me? 

  i will be glad to...

  now i want you take a deep breath and think about this issue removing your emotions (a need to win fueled by irrational thought process's) ...and inserting rational thought(s) instead. 

this stuff is really easy.  someone is always going to win eventually (it could be you). 

after the odds get high enough that they cannot be covered (like "maybe" in a pick3 game where the odds are a little more "obtainable"),  then it becomes a matter of "IF  you are meant to".  i don't see why people get so jacked about "odds" when the odds are so rediculous.

do you really think that wheeling, past cold, hot and mega due numbers really have any effect on a game at that level?  no way jose.  you are either next in line, or somebody else is.

at these odds everytime i buy a ticket my odds  are 50/50.  either i am,  or i am not.  that way i don't have to exert any more energy (other than financial preparation should i win),  ...... than buying (1) quick pick.

i personally believe that the lottery is totally random and unpredictable.  i am starting to warm up to the idea that "maybe" a person might be able to gain an edge by playing their own numbers,  but only  in the pick3 games because of it's lower odds.  but especially in a jackpot game with the odds that high, anyone is fooling themselves if they think that they can gain some sort of edge by choosing their own numbers (IMO).  people ought to just relax and throw a ticket at it to see if they are next in line.

people want to win the lottery so bad that they will do just about anything to "make it happen".  desperation can take an intelligent man/woman and turn them into irrational goo just like that.

i like what somebody wrote or posted from an internet article,  can't remember exactly who did but it echoed something i said in here a long time ago.  and that is,  if the lottery isn't random and can be predicted (certainly at the high odds jackpot game level),  then someone would have figured it out by now.  with all the brilliant mathematical/scientific minds we have,  someone would have nailed it down by now.  now i know the counter arguement about how no one has "stumbled" onto the formula just yet as evidenced by the different discoveries of mankind over our history and as we  have possessed certain intelligence,   but it still took some time to get there.  thats a bogus arguement when it comes to the lottery. 

given our abilities that we have possessed for a long time,  "they" would have figured it out by now.  it's only math with a few extra "zeros".  plain and simple.

the only other arguement is that the lottery balls somehow have "memory"  or patterns.  thats baloney too.  in a totally controlled ball drawing environment,  it's random (and especially that would be true in a game with longer odds if it were true to begin with).  lottery balls don't have memory, nor are they capable of communicating with one another in order to inform each other as to which one is due up next.  patterns cannot exist in a controlled ball drawing environment. they change the ball sets and machines (or something like that).  you could get patterns from a repeatable condition. they make it so it isn't.  now computer drawings, maybe one could identify a pattern and break it.

but a jack that high,  just relax and buy (1) ticket.  that way your not wasting your time, or your hope(s).

and more importantly,  change your thinking when it comes to the odds of winning.  wouldn't it be more impressive if YOU  were the one who was next in line,  and especially so when the odds against you seemed so insurmountable? OK now you are starting to feel me. that emotion you just felt as you first pondered the idea of you being the one after, thats what i am talking about and thats where your rational thinking should lead you.

i say ....bring on the odds.  the deeper they are stacked against me,  the more obvious that i was ALWAYS ..........."meant to"

VISION  (peoplewithvisionneverconsidertheodds)

twisted's avatartwisted

SLP's highest Jackpot is $120 million.  I bet they will go hog wild over a $300 million jackpot on MM.

California's SLP reached $141 million on 6/23/01.  But the highest it has ever been was on 2/16/02 when it reached $193 million.  But you are right, CA will go wild when the jackpot is over $300 million.  As a matter of fact, all the MM states will go hog wild when the jackpot is over $300 million (it has been over 3 years since it was over $300 million).

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

i can definitely agree with that!

Tnplayer805's avatarTnplayer805

I would be making a trip to GA if the JP went over $300.  Who knows how far it will go with the new matrix.  I guess we'll soon find out.

Just6ntlc

I hope that it reaches at least $363 million or more soon thanks to California.

End of comments
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