Times Square gets Mega ball drop

Feb 19, 2004, 7:26 am (33 comments)

Mega Millions

The drawing for the $215 million Mega Millions jackpot will be held in Times Square tomorrow, and New York's exuberant lottery celebrity, Yolanda Vega, will announce the winning numbers.

Mega Millions is the closest thing going to a national lottery.  New York and Ohio joined the multistate game in May 2002, and Texas joined last December, bringing to 11 the number of participating states.

Six winning jackpot tickets worth a total of $400 million have been sold in New York over the last 21 months.

Vega is familiar to viewers here who have witnessed her regular lottery drawings from Albany and her signature signoff, "Yoo-landa Vega."

The Mega drawing is normally done in Atlanta.  But "we thought it was important to mark the occasion of the most exciting Mega Millions jackpot with a spectacular drawing from the most exciting place in the world - New York's Times Square," said state Lottery Director Nancy Palumbo.

Mega Millions' largest payoff was $363 million in May 2000.  At that time the lottery game was called The Big Game.

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jacaesar

I wonder what the real reason for the change in venue.

four4me

Wow this is a perfect opportunity for someone to rig the game. When they change the place where the drawing takes place. It opens the opportunity for someone to manipulate the game. I'm not happy about this one bit. I hate to be negative about this but it's the way I feel. I don't think they should change the location of the drawing because the jackpot is large.  

DoubleDown

Hmmmmm

Watch and see who wins this tonight(and it will be tonight).I really wonder now if I need to go buy my usual tix....Something smells awfully rotten here.

 

What a dangerous precedent this sets. Anyone know if this kind of stunt has ever been pulled before ?

DoubleDown

Sorry... I meant tomorrow night's drawing.....

 

DD

giotonia's avatargiotonia

I agree something is not right.

DoubleDown

How may times has the drawing venue been changed before with a history of a $300 million jackpot ?

A drawing is a drawing is a drawing.....or is it ?

Someone has to step up and offer a better explanation than what they said ....

DD

giotonia's avatargiotonia

I going to watch the news since I'm in NY.

weshar75's avatarweshar75

I wonder if the moving of the drawing has to do with raising more exposure for mega millions  because finally mega millions has a jackpot that is like the old game "big game".  Mega millions doesn't need a winner right now it needs rollovers and enough to beat the 314.9 million mark of powerball.  With a bigger single winner for mega millions it will put them on top of the lottery thrown.

four4me

I know our state holds it's lottery in different locations on certain holidays. I wasn't real happy about them doing it. Once they have made up there mind to do something they usually do. Not much we can do about it as players.

I don't think big game drawing or mega mil has ever been out of the studio where it usually takes place. There may have been a promotional dvent when they moved the drawing to a larger studio. But apparently their packing the show up and going to New York for this dvent.  All we can do is wait and see what happens I had decided to play some different numbers. But now i have no clue as to what numbers to play as I have no idea of whether their using the same ball sets they have been using or a new set.

pegleg

It looks like a marketing ploy to generate more sales and build up the jackpot. New York is the more densely populated state, what better place to drum up sales?

pegleg

Todd's avatarTodd

I've thought about this som

emilyg's avataremilyg

they should invite glenn burns to times sq.

giotonia's avatargiotonia

The question is are they using the same Mega Million machines. And if some wins in NY some people would be furious and suspicious .

Todd's avatarTodd
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