Excitement Builds Up For Mega Millions Drawing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Pennsylvania Lottery could award the largest prize in the state's history if a single jackpot-winning ticket, worth an estimated annuity value of $290 million, is purchased for Friday night's drawing.
Tonight's drawing will be the eighth largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.
"Large jackpots always generate a lot of excitement as people take advantage of the opportunity to 'dream Mega' and have fun anticipating the potential impact of a multi-million-dollar jackpot," Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Todd Rucci said. "We advise players to buy their Mega Millions tickets early to avoid the last-minute rush."
Tickets for tonight's Mega Millions drawing will be available until 9:59 p.m. at more than 9,000 Lottery retailers statewide.
"What's most exciting to us is that $24.8 million in sales for this Mega Millions run have generated more than $7.4 million in funding for programs benefiting Pennsylvania's older residents," Rucci said.
The current Mega Millions jackpot run began Friday, Jan. 27. There hasn't been a jackpot winner in all of the 16 draws, and tonight's drawing is the 17th in the current run.
The largest prize ever awarded by the Pennsylvania Lottery is a $115.5 million Super 7 jackpot from the April 26, 1989, drawing that was shared among 14 winning tickets. The largest Pennsylvania Lottery prize awarded to a single winning ticket was the $110.3 million Powerball jackpot from May 8, 2004, claimed by a New Jersey couple.
