Marylanders line up to buy tickets for Friday's $1.28 billion mega millions jackpot
BALTIMORE -- Sales for Mega Millions tickets have been strong as the Friday night drawing for the game's $1.28 billion jackpot, the third largest U.S. lottery jackpot, grows closer.
"There's clearly a lot of excitement today," Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming John Martin said. "We increased the jackpot from $1.1 billion to $1.28 billion for tonight's drawing and that's primarily a function of all the excitement and increased sales."
No one has hit the game's jackpot since April 15, but a lot of people are hoping to take home the prize tonight.
"It's a billion dollars, I heard," Reggie Rivers, an East Baltimore resident, said. "A billion dollars got my interest."
Some of the money from lottery games also goes back to Maryland. Martin told WJZ that "95 cents of every dollar that comes in goes back out into the community."
Martin explained that about 28% of lottery earning goes to the Maryland General Fund to pay for public health, public safety, the environment and education. Additionally, business owners who sell tickets earn a commission.
Martin also said multiple winners are possible with so many people playing now.
"A lot of times when you get that number of tickets sold, you end up getting multiple winners across the country," he said.
The money would be split evenly if there are multiple winners.
The cash value of the jackpot is now about $747.2 million, according to a Mega Millions press release.
If no wins on Friday, then the jackpot for next Tuesday's drawing is on track to be the largest ever—likely about $1.7 billion, Martin said.
