Mega Millions tickets are selling so fast that unique number combinations are running out

Oct 23, 2018, 9:21 pm (94 comments)

Mega Millions

Just stop somewhere — a coffee shop, the grocery store checkout, or your office — and listen.

Odds are, someone within earshot is hatching a plan to buy mansions and yachts as long as a city block. But of course, many are sure to explain, they will divert serious cash to charity after winning what lottery officials call the biggest lottery jackpot in history.

Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing will pay out at least $1.6 billion to winning jackpot ticket holders, if there are any, after Friday's already record-setting drawing ended with no ticket matching all six numbers. That number is "uncharted territory" for Mega Millions, lottery officials said.

The jackpot will increase to $2 billion for Friday's drawing, Gentry said, if there are no winners.

But the chances are rising that a winner or winners will emerge after the numbers are called.

By then, lottery officials estimate 75 percent of all number combinations will be purchased, Maryland Lottery and Gaming spokeswoman Carole Gentry told The Washington Post. With more than 300 million possible combinations, the odds of winning are 1 in 302,575,350.

More than one set of winning numbers can be bought, though that would mean two or more people would have to share the massive payout.

The fever has struck nationwide.

On Thursday, ahead of the last drawing, in California players were buying 200 tickets a second, the Associated Press reported.

Back on the east coast on Friday, about 9,100 tickets were purchased a minute in Maryland in a two hour window ahead of the drawing, state lottery officials said.

The Virginia Lottery projects sales after Friday's drawing through Tuesday's drawing will approach $19 million, lottery spokeswoman Jennifer Mullen said. In the sales peak, as many as 12,700 tickets will be sold per minute, Mullen said.

The deadline for buying tickets in most states is 10:45 p.m. EST, or 15 minutes ahead of the drawing, though some stop sales earlier.

What's my payout if I win?

The estimated cash option is about $905 million should a winner choose to take a one-time lump sum payment instead of annual payouts over 30 years, according to Mega Millions officials.

But that's before taxes. You'd get about half of that after state and federal taxes take a big bite of your winnings, the AP reported. The annual payouts would net a higher payout over time, but you would have to squirrel away enough money to buy, say, a struggling NFL team.

And if you take the annual payouts rather than the lump sum, you may even be an eventual billionaire. The website USAMega.com breaks down what your winnings could look like after taxes for your state. Even highly taxed states like New York show figures cresting a billion dollars after 30 years of payments.

Is it me, or are lottery jackpots huge these days?

It's not just you. Lottery officials count on enormous jackpots to draw in players who would ordinarily avoid participating, so last October they made two big changes. They doubled ticket prices to $2 — and tweaked the formula to make it easier to win smaller prizes but harder to win the jackpot.

Here's how Mega Millions used to work: Players picked five numbers from 1 to 75 and a Mega number from 1 to 15. The odds of winning the top prize were 1 in 258,890,850.

Since Mega Millions modified the formula, players now pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and a Mega number of 1 to 25. The odds of winning the jackpot are now 1 in 302,575,350.

In other words, reducing the number of balls for the first five numbers increases the chances of winning a smaller prize. But raising the number of Mega Balls makes it harder to win the jackpot. (You still win the big jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.)

Powerball made similar changes to its rules in 2015. That game itself is currently at a monster jackpot, though a small one relative to Mega Millions, at $620 million ahead of Wednesday's drawing.

Do people think they're going to win?

They do.

"I believe I already won," Joseph Rauch told Reuters, "believe I believe in the law of attraction. So what's meant to be is already gonna be."

Others are already self-read experts on how to deal with such an enormous and public prize. "I would incorporate myself as a business and become my own company," Gregory Baron said in New York City.

And even apparent fatalists are wandering to the corner store for a shot at the jackpot.

Hank Kattan is 75 years old. He does not expect to win at all. And yet.

"I'll never win, but you gotta give it a shot," he told Reuters. "I'd like to change my way of life."

Thanks to all the readers who tipped this story.

Washington Post

Comments

ohiopick3's avatarohiopick3

Hey, "You never know?" Worth the chance! Why not!

delS

This is mind blowing; however, if I do not win tonight, I certainly will allow my mind to be blown by $2 BILLION on Friday. Lol. So, by Saturday I will be the world's first Billionaire Lottery winner. Who would have thunk it.

Horsegeek40

We will know if have a sole winners, a split jackpot, or a rollover by surely 6am east coast time.

lowellm

Quote: Originally posted by delS on Oct 23, 2018

This is mind blowing; however, if I do not win tonight, I certainly will allow my mind to be blown by $2 BILLION on Friday. Lol. So, by Saturday I will be the world's first Billionaire Lottery winner. Who would have thunk it.

Just imagine if they suddenly decided to draw two thousand $1,000,000 winners instead. lol

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Here we go folks!

Good Luck To All!

Cheers

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

It all depends on what numbers are drawn and if a ticket contains those numbers.

There were 15 $1 mil winners last draw. There may be more since so many people are playing now.

Cross everything you can and hope for the best.

lowellm

Quote: Originally posted by dpoly1 on Oct 23, 2018

Here we go folks!

Good Luck To All!

Cheers

The luck of the Irish to ya', dpoly1! Cheers!

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

Todd is definitely going to be burning some midnight oil tonight!

Type

Horsegeek40

Do we need to chip in and get Todd a new keyboard after this week??

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

Quote: Originally posted by Horsegeek40 on Oct 23, 2018

Do we need to chip in and get Todd a new keyboard after this week??

After this week he'll need a vacation too!

lowellm

Quote: Originally posted by TheMeatman2005 on Oct 23, 2018

Todd is definitely going to be burning some midnight oil tonight!

Type

I hope his insurance covers carpal tunnel syndrome, all of those hours on a keyboard are brutal on the ol' nerves!

larry3100's avatarlarry3100

I wonder how many people are coming here from around the world to purchase Mega Millions lottery tickets, to try to win this enormous jackpot of at least $1.6 billion! Good luck Lottery Post members who have purchased Mega Millions lottery tickets! Just $2 and a dream!

Groppo's avatarGroppo

.

OK, so I feel that there's going to be a winning ticket or two, or ten, or more, this evening, but already
I can feel it's not going to be mine    Unhappy

Good luck to the rest of you.

Revolution777's avatarRevolution777

I'm going out on a limb and predicting I "WON'T" win the MM jackpot tonight.  Now tomorrow night.... another story?  lol

BuyLow's avatarBuyLow

T-minus 45 minutes

lowellm

Quote: Originally posted by BuyLow on Oct 23, 2018

T-minus 45 minutes

The site will crash, just like it did a minute after the last drawing. lol

BuyLow's avatarBuyLow

Quote: Originally posted by lowellm on Oct 23, 2018

The site will crash, just like it did a minute after the last drawing. lol

I think he put it into go slow mode.......

lowellm

Quote: Originally posted by BuyLow on Oct 23, 2018

I think he put it into go slow mode.......

Last drawing I checked the numbers and I managed to write "I'm officially not the winner." and I think one other person squeezed a comment in before the whole thing went down. After a half hour or so I quit trying and went to bed. lol

Horsegeek40

T-30 minutes and counting

Revolution777's avatarRevolution777

It will be 3am (PDT) before we know the results. 

dognabit

Any word on if all the combinations have been picked?

MsBee18

This is the time lottery officials need to be on conference call. They should know if there's a jackpot win by 1am est.

Revolution777's avatarRevolution777

Please post the numbers when you get them!!

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by lowellm on Oct 23, 2018

The site will crash, just like it did a minute after the last drawing. lol

Hmm... that's funny, still appears to be working. Wink

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey
 05-28-62-65-70 + 05
Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by Revolution777 on Oct 23, 2018

Please post the numbers when you get them!!

5 - 28 - 62 - 65 - 70 --- 5

Revolution777's avatarRevolution777

I struck out!  Won nothing! 

Kingofearth's avatarKingofearth

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Oct 23, 2018

 05-28-62-65-70 + 05

Well 2B for Friday it is. No way someone picked those numbers.

viceroy2's avatarviceroy2

Dagnabbit.....I Knew it...i knew i shoulda picked 5 and 70..... i knew it!   ehhhhh.......and i knew hat one of the white balls was going to do double duty as the  mega ball!   i knew it!!

 

oh well

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Quote: Originally posted by Kingofearth on Oct 23, 2018

Well 2B for Friday it is. No way someone picked those numbers.

Lol. Unless it was the evil quick pick, but I agree it is rare that players use a white ball number as the mega ball as well.

MsBee18

Quote: Originally posted by viceroy2 on Oct 23, 2018

Dagnabbit.....I Knew it...i knew i shoulda picked 5 and 70..... i knew it!   ehhhhh.......and i knew hat one of the white balls was going to do double duty as the  mega ball!   i knew it!!

 

oh well

Don't worry its rolling tonight Crazy

LOTTOPLAYER13

5 28 62 65 70 5

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by lowellm on Oct 23, 2018

The site will crash, just like it did a minute after the last drawing. lol

Bet at least one State Lottery site crashes or slows down.

viceroy2's avatarviceroy2

i know delaware just upped it....that was TOO quick...u think they might be a little premature?

flipper1028

I was going to post the same thing. 

Delaware is posting 2 bil with cash 1.14 bil

Too soon I would think.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by viceroy2 on Oct 23, 2018

i know delaware just upped it....that was TOO quick...u think they might be a little premature?

Ugh, they did the same thing Friday night.  It's possible it will roll, but completely ignore Delaware's website.

New York's avatarNew York

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Oct 23, 2018

Ugh, they did the same thing Friday night.  It's possible it will roll, but completely ignore Delaware's website.

Getting the same info. 

 

https://imgur.com/a/7kEz87m

Kingofearth's avatarKingofearth

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Oct 23, 2018

Lol. Unless it was the evil quick pick, but I agree it is rare that players use a white ball number as the mega ball as well.

1-59 has 60 combinations for QP's to work with, 60-70 has 11 combinations for QP's to work with, the chances of a QP choosing 3 out 5 numbers in the tiny range is very very low. There's a reason the 1.5 Billion PB in 2016 wasn't able to be won until the highest number was only in the 30's.

Stack47

Think about it. A $990 million jackpot was raised to $1.6 billion or by $700 million, but the Delaware site is saying a $1.6 million pot will only increase by $400 million.

Not buying it.

viceroy2's avatarviceroy2

fLASH! CALIFORNIA LOTTERY jUST TWEETS ..... No winners here

 

twitter{dot]com \ ca lottery

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

Quote: Originally posted by viceroy2 on Oct 23, 2018

fLASH! CALIFORNIA LOTTERY jUST TWEETS ..... No winners here

 

twitter{dot]com \ ca lottery

CA posted/tweeted fast.  I wish all states were that organized!  RI will probably figure it out around 5am... **insert sadness here**

Kingofearth's avatarKingofearth

Quote: Originally posted by viceroy2 on Oct 23, 2018

fLASH! CALIFORNIA LOTTERY jUST TWEETS ..... No winners here

 

twitter{dot]com \ ca lottery

1 down, 45 more jurisdictions to go.

viceroy2's avatarviceroy2

Quote: Originally posted by maximumfun on Oct 23, 2018

CA posted/tweeted fast.  I wish all states were that organized!  RI will probably figure it out around 5am... **insert sadness here**

you don't suppose... it coming from...RI, doya?

LOTTOPLAYER13

No Jackpot Winner in TX

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

Quote: Originally posted by viceroy2 on Oct 23, 2018

you don't suppose... it coming from...RI, doya?

If it is, it missed this household. :)

viceroy2's avatarviceroy2

Quote: Originally posted by LOTTOPLAYER13 on Oct 23, 2018

No Jackpot Winner in TX

oh.....shizzle!

viceroy2's avatarviceroy2

Quote: Originally posted by maximumfun on Oct 23, 2018

If it is, it missed this household. :)

Coffee  hi!

 

missed mine  too

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Forget Tennessee, we only show the last draw displayed. Probably won't be changed until lunch ...ON THURSDAY !!!

http://www.tnlottery.com/?fs=FullPageView

LOTTOPLAYER13

Todd,

 

Why do some website, post faster results than the states website?

 

Thank

Poo Nanny's avatarPoo Nanny

Missed this Michigan house. Unless someone in my family has that ticket....let it roll

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Yeeeeup.... Lotto Claus didn't leave me anything in my stocking tonight

 

http://www.tnlottery.com/about-us/leadership/executive-staff

Poo Nanny's avatarPoo Nanny

I am almost embarrassed to say that I bought 42 tickets. I did get the mega ball twice so I got that going for me

LOTTOPLAYER13

You still have a chance with power ball. ;)

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Quote: Originally posted by Poo Nanny on Oct 23, 2018

I am almost embarrassed to say that I bought 42 tickets. I did get the mega ball twice so I got that going for me

42 ??......  Thud

Poo Nanny's avatarPoo Nanny

For sure! I wouldn't even call it settling with that jackpot either

Poo Nanny's avatarPoo Nanny

I drive around a lot for work. I don't normally buy that many but kept getting the feeling that a store felt lucky lol. I guess don't trust my gut on that one anymore

viceroy2's avatarviceroy2

Quote: Originally posted by CDanaT on Oct 23, 2018

42 ??......  Thud

well , 42 Is the answer  to  the ultimate question ....but the question was "What do you  get  when you multiply 6 by 9?"

JBENSON

SC had a jackpot winner!

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Quote: Originally posted by JBENSON on Oct 24, 2018

SC had a jackpot winner!

LottoLucy's avatarLottoLucy

Quote: Originally posted by JBENSON on Oct 24, 2018

SC had a jackpot winner!

Green laughSomeone better tell Delaware!

Need200K

Dream is over babeh

Need200K

How many winners other than SC tell me

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

4:25 am and the main website is not calling the final results. Delaware already has the amount at 2billion. If claimed by one ticket holder that is a whoppin amount for South Carolina!

travelintrucker's avatartravelintrucker

If someone won in SC, it wasn't me. I played in OH and PA.

welington

It's 4:33 AM and Mega Billions can't say if there is a winner but reports false alarm winners in South Carolina and Tennessee . Hope this is not a rig or fix in place .

I'm not checking my tickets until they say a winner or not .

 

2 billion Friday if no winner good luck to all

zephbe's avatarzephbe

Quote: Originally posted by welington on Oct 24, 2018

It's 4:33 AM and Mega Billions can't say if there is a winner but reports false alarm winners in South Carolina and Tennessee . Hope this is not a rig or fix in place .

I'm not checking my tickets until they say a winner or not .

 

2 billion Friday if no winner good luck to all

False alarm?

http://sceducationlottery.com/games2/3winningnumbers_megamillions.asp

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

Quote: Originally posted by welington on Oct 24, 2018

It's 4:33 AM and Mega Billions can't say if there is a winner but reports false alarm winners in South Carolina and Tennessee . Hope this is not a rig or fix in place .

I'm not checking my tickets until they say a winner or not .

 

2 billion Friday if no winner good luck to all

so you haven't checked to see if you have won anything? that seems counter intuitive to getting results with your own eyes

keepitreal

I hear a LP member hit jackpot. There a few people on here from SC. That where the jackpot got hit. I maybe wrong.

BuyLow's avatarBuyLow

Quote: Originally posted by keepitreal on Oct 24, 2018

I hear a LP member hit jackpot. There a few people on here from SC. That where the jackpot got hit. I maybe wrong.

Where’d you hear that?

welington

Congratulations South Carolina big single winner and the 36 one million dollar winners across the country.

I'm not playing MM until it pass a billion again.

Too confusing to get results quickly

keepitreal

I hope few people from Michigan win 1 million. That I know the person that won in Michigan.

zephbe's avatarzephbe

Quote: Originally posted by welington on Oct 24, 2018

Congratulations South Carolina big single winner and the 36 one million dollar winners across the country.

I'm not playing MM until it pass a billion again.

Too confusing to get results quickly

There may be other winners.  Some states don't post results until Mega Millions post.  If a state like CA can post all of them can.

BuyLow's avatarBuyLow

Quote: Originally posted by zephbe on Oct 24, 2018

There may be other winners.  Some states don't post results until Mega Millions post.  If a state like CA can post all of them can.

Mega posted 1 winner.

zephbe's avatarzephbe

Quote: Originally posted by BuyLow on Oct 24, 2018

Mega posted 1 winner.

Thanks I didn't check them.  Was over on USAMega waiting for the update.

Hope one of my relatives or friends got it!

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