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
Quote: O
plnwebguy's avatarplnwebguy

Most people missed it in th

Todd's avatarTodd

I'm playing in three different

giotonia's avatargiotonia
Quote: O
Todd's avatarTodd

giotonia,

I'm sorry if that was worded a little strongly.  It seems that there have been a lot of conspiracy theories lately, and I guess I just would like to see people take a little more moderate approach.  Saying that people will be "furious" if there is a winner from NY is a little out of control.  I suppose people from NY should all burn their tickets or refuse to cash them in, just because the lottery does a creative thing and holds the drawing in Times Square.  What if the lottery did a drawing in your home town and you won?  Would you want people "furious" at you for winning?

Lotteries have been having drawings in alternate locations for a LONG time.

emilyg's avataremilyg

what's the big deal anyway. they can hold the drawing in pookiewookie for all i care.

four4me

Emilyg wrote: what's the big deal anyway. they can hold the drawing in pookiewookie for all i care...

 Folks>>>Since I started this rant I'll try and explain. It's no so much as to where their doing the drawing it's the fact that their taking the show on the road, And that opens up the possibility for someone or some group to tamper with the game. OK OK i know I'm weird to say that or am i. It can happen it has happened and it will happen again. Because they are traveling up the coast there is opportunity for someone to try and do something to those precious little ping pong balls or the machines themselves. They could in effect rig the game so one of there cronies could profit by it. Then again it might not happen and everything will go as planned. I only said something about it because with all that's going on around us these days anything is possible. There are crooks everywhere and they would do anything to profit from something. OK, OK, OK i know it could never happen or could it. There are other things that bother me about this but I said them in my first post. I don't know if people really know or care about this game but I do know their are millions of people who are saying to themselves I'm gonna buy a ticket because this is my time to win and there will be millions of people who will be sad they lost. Thousands of people will spend their food money on this drawing maybe even the rent money. Only to be disappointed after they find out they didn't win a dime. But some lucky person or group will be ecstatic if they win and that's OK to. As long as the game was not tampered with because they decided to take it on the road.

LottoBuddy's avatarLottoBuddy

Quote: Originally posted by pegleg on February 19, 2004



I also state that I picked my own numbers and that I do not know anybody connected with the lottery administration.





Does Mega Millions allow its employees and other conflict-of-interest parties to play and win their own lottery, just like the Canadian lotteries?

golotto

Powerball doesn't...MUSL Powerball website under the FAQ section says that multi-state lottery employees are prohibited from playing any lottery game (even instant scratch ticket games) in any MUSL member state. I don't know any details about Megamillions policy.

Lotto Czar's avatarLotto Czar

Question: 

Are New York drawings still televised on WPIX-TV?  (WB-11).  We have it on cable down here in Pa., but sometimes it's blacked out (due to Syndex rules of duplicating syndicated programming around 7 PM).  I caught a drawing a few years ago, That Yolanda sounds like the lady who used to do the drawings. 

Can check, but don't have Mega Million tickets, either.  Closest to me is Maryland.  Since it's that big, maybe someone from work will go down there; but with Power Ball, why bother?  And speaking of which, how can MM be close to a "National Lottery" when Powerball is in more states?.  Percent of Population?  Some states, probably play more than others.

MM drawings used to be broadcast over CN-8 (Comcast News Channel) in the tri-state around the Phillly Area since NJ is an MM state.  We get that down here, too.

Good luck to all of you MM'ers.  Is this drawing held indoors or out?  I know it's a few minutes before 11 PM our time.

fja's avatarfja

there was a movie about a megalottery drawing in N.Y. It starred Michael Keaton and Rae-Dong Chong stealing a type of machine from the syndicate that would call up the balls that were coated with a magnetic paint...It was a b-type movie but it was entertaining....

golotto

i love b-type movies!

Todd's avatarTodd

Any LP members going to attend the dvent?

hypersoniq's avatarhypersoniq

The powerball has already been drawn "on-location", it was a live dvent, you could hear people cheering off camera...

hypersoniq's avatarhypersoniq

"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."

That's something, why is MM closer to a "national lottery" than Powerball? 25 states + the Virgin Islands + more to come (including Tennessee)...

DoubleDown

8-34-37-39-47--MB 37

 

I don't care if they draw the freakin numbers in a barn...as long as they draw mine !!

goose

Theres nothing to worry about.Noone can rig the lottery by changing the machine.

jacaesar

Keep believing it can't be rigged.  Corruption will exist as long as there are naive people who are willing to overlook it for the sake of making themselves believe they live in an honest world.  For Jesus said "But in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  Matt: 15:9

goose
Quote: Originally posted by jacaesar on February 26, 2004


Keep believing it can't be rigged.  Corruption will exist as long as there are naive people who are willing to overlook it for the sake of making themselves believe they live in an honest world.  For Jesus said "But in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  Matt: 15:9



can you explain what this sentence means?thank you
jacaesar

Goose

"But in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  Matt: 15:9

There is much disagreement in the laws (commandments) that man makes and the laws (commandments) of God.  Maybe this verse will explain is better when  Jesus said "Thus  have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition" Matt:  15:6

Jesus called  them "hypocrites" because they worshiped him with their words but not in their hearts, teaching their ways, which are in oppostion to GOD's law,  rather  than teaching the commandments of GOD.  Therefore even if you proclaim to worship GOD it is ineffective or worthless if you are following the laws are traditions of man that are in disagreement with the laws are commandments of GOD.

When you overlook the truth and allow corruption to exist just so you don't have to face or confront dishonestly within the system.  But everythiny hidden will be revealed.

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