By Todd Northrop
Lottery players across the United States are buying their Mega Millions tickets in preparation for Friday's massive $200 million drawing.
The cash value stands at a staggering $145.4 million. Lottery players typically think of the cash value as roughly half of the annuity estimate, but this Mega Millions cash value represents 73% of the annuity estimate.
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 14 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on Jan. 27 as a $12 million grand prize.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.
In the latest Mega Millions drawing that took place this past Tuesday night, there was no jackpot winner, but 9 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250,000 prize: 3 from California, 1 from Illinois, 1 from Massachusetts, 1 from New Jersey, 1 from New York, and 2 from Virginia.
The 3 California winners will each be awarded prizes of $235,402, because California awards all prizes in a pari-mutuel formula, which calculates the prize amount based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners in each prize category.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, March 13, 2012, were 2, 8, 30, 36, and 48, with Mega Ball number 31. The Megaplier number was 3.
Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $29 million from its previous amount of $171 million. The cash value was raised by $20.7 million, from its previous amount of $124.7 million.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Friday evening at 11:00 pm EDT.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 42 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
For a complete set of game descriptions, results, history, and all questions regarding Mega Millions, lottery players are encouraged to visit USA Mega (www.usamega.com), a Web site that caters to the Unites States's two multi-state lottery games, Powerball and Mega Millions.
The Mega Millions winning numbers will be published at USA Mega Friday night, minutes after the drawing takes place.
It's Bentley time!
I will drive this one, the Mulsanne will need a part time driver though 
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I just have feeling that Pennsylvania is going to get our first big win in Mega Millions !$!$!$!$
Let it roll at least one more time, that should put it into the stratosphere of $250,000,000. I can live with a quarter Billion, can you.
Take the cash option ............ inflation can ravage the annuity ..............
I have six psychics on retainer who swear by their crystal balls that this will roll until Good Friday!
Are they expensive ?!
the only rolling I want TO SEE is me ROTFLOLING!
I already bought my ticket.One is all I need!
I have to wait until I can use our only car later. Or I would have my ticket also .....................
I am currently previewing my "new car" on YouTube right now ............ ROTFLOLING
That's my motto 'take "The Money And Run". Don't ever look back. Don't let bankrupt states defaulting on their poor investments screw you
out of your annuities! Always take the cash.
ditto.
Kansas for the WIN Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well expense is relative isn't it? lol! I have recruited them to assist me in selecting the right numbers. They guide me on matters such as days, times and places to draw my QPs
I have a friend that saw a $1,000,000,000,000 bill in Zimbabwe ............ and he wasn't hanging with the "1%"! The money also has an expiration date! Inflation can be devastating!
I just spend $3 like the nice Lady from Rhode Island!
I always buy two once it reaches two hundred million.
We need a Lottery Post Member to be the Big Winner!
DP....I agree 110% and I actually will volunteer to be the very first person to be that winner....no charge
Don't worry. After I win I will be sure to tell you how awesome my new Bently is.
And you got what for $3? Two wins in R.I. and your cut rate psychics didn't come through??? lol
CDana - You are such a trooper for taking on this burden!
ROTFLMAOOLing
WTG CDana & rad242 ........... this is a great thread so far !
$200M+
A. This will kill Powerball sales until it gets hit.
B. If the winner is black and from Rhode Island I say the fix is in.
LOL.....
I knew it would. Smh this is getting dangerous. Ppl are more desperate than they've ever been.
Please let me win for once in my life
OK.
Well, you're a hell of a guy, CD.
It is time for Oregon to get its first mega millions win. Yes!-weshar75
- My senses are tingling and I predict a winner would be from the Northeast.
- There shall be one winner but a score or so of 2nd tier winners, half of them with megaply
- The ticket shall be bought, the Sunday before good Friday.
- It shall be a quick pick ticket.
Just a prediction on my part.
Good Luck, everybody.
yes, and it should be tonya harding. she deserves after all her video poker losses.
Well thanks ridge...I appreciate the vote of confidence, there ole duffer....Stop yur drinkin and professing your undying love for B.O. and pick some winning numbers would ya !!!!!
Well "rad", ...................
I got to have $3 worth of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can't get a gallon gas for that $3 ...........................
It is the only money that I spend of the lottery ............................................................................
and as a side note, I met a clothing salesman that makes $100,000 a year selling menswear to the 1%!
our taxes, after I win, are just fine or should be lowered!
Forget tonya harding. I want this one for me and only me. Oregon has yet to win in the mega millions game so I am going to start it off for everybody. Whooo hooo!-weshar75
you'd have a better chance of climbing mt hood on your toenails than hitting the megamillions lottery. the poor ex-skater has had a rough time of it since she botched her plot against nancy kerrigan. she drives around oregon in her beat up ford taurus playing video poker for a living and eating the dollar menu at mcdonalds. she brought a lot of notoriety to oregon when no one else could. she deserves to take this jackpot down if it is to be won by someone in oregon.(of course someone in the northeast will win it to be sure)
Let it roll...let it roll...let it roll!!!
Wow Tanya's got a Taurus.......sweeeet ride. Maybe if she hit the MM she could get a McDonald's franchise and play video poker while feasting
in her own restaurant. It would be a nice gesture, if she could send Nancy a little something for having her legs smashed in just before the
Olympic competition.
$100 million plus after taxes. time for me to play agian. Good luck to me. Would any of you buy your own annunity? I'v eread that option on a few othewr forums.
I feel it is time for South Carolina to have its first MM winner.....ME!!!!!!!!!
Gotta get my tickets...dont know how many yet but ive been a down streak for a minute now...havent hit anything in a couple of months....that will soon change
if she won she wouldn't need the mcdonalds franchise don't you think. and poor nancy who married her manager who was 35 years older than her against her blind mothers wishes is busy defending her drunken brother who was living in the parents cellar and beat her father to death. all sad but true.
Today's winner for going off topic.
That's part of the adventure of reading the posts.
You know it's going to be lottery related at the beginning, but you never know where it's going to end up.
I think i could handel that ..I just need alot of luck on my side....I would have to go into hiding tho for a few months..
Then i want a ride in Todds vet..LOL
It's only "relative" when one has a net worth of over $3M and no dependents.