Lottery Sales Heat Up Ahead Of Mega Millions Drawing
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Lottery players have a chance at winning two giant jackpots this week that together amount to more than $800 million.
Strong sales sent the Mega Millions jackpot soaring to $361 million for Tuesday night's drawing.
It's the largest Mega Millions prize since a $393 million drawing last August.
The winning Mega Millions numbers were 1, 42, 47, 64, 70, and Mega Ball 22.
On Wednesday night, players of the Powerball game will seek a $440 million annuity prize, or a $278.3 million cash prize. Powerball hasn't had such a big prize since August, when a Massachusetts player won a $758.7 million jackpot.
Bobulal Patel says his store has been bustling with plenty of dreamers, with their dollars in hand hoping to cash in on the winning lottery numbers.
"Very busy right now," he told CBS2's Hazel Sanchez. "People buying ten, twenty dollars quickly."
Lottery connoisseurs like Denzel Moore are very familiar with Patel's shop, Renu Corp. Grocery and Tobacco in TriBeCa. It's where $24 million New York Lotto winner Jimmie Smith bought his ticket in 2016 and nearly missed cashing in on it.
"Someone won out of this location before, so I always come when it gets big," Moore said. "I always come here to play."
The odds of winning jackpots in either game are incredibly small. Mega Millions has odds of one in 302.6 million and Powerball is slightly better at one in 292.2 million.
The odds of winning both are one in 88 quadrillion.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)