Hopeful lottery players are gaining millions of reasons to dream again. There were no winners in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery drawing on Tuesday, so the jackpot now stands at $151 million.
The jackpot is the largest since January 4th, when a $380 million mega-jackpot was split by two winning tickets from Idaho and Washington. The cash option payout of Friday's jackpot is $94.3 Million.
The lottery has seen ten drawings since the last time a ticket was sold that matched all six numbers drawn.
The Courier Post reports there were seven tickets sold that matched five numbers -- but not the Mega Ball, one of them from New Jersey. Each of those tickets wins $250,000.
For players looking for an edge, mathematicians have long said there is no advantage to purchasing a ticket in a state or at an outlet where previous big-money winning tickets have been sold. According to lotterypost.com, the odds of a big-money winning ticket sold in a particular state or outlet is wholly dependent on the number of tickets sold there.
MEGA MILLIONS WINNING NUMBERS FOR MARCH 11, 2011:
14, 19, 21, 42, 45, mega ball 6
Admittedly, the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are as enormous as some of its payouts. According to megamillions.com, they are 1 in 175,711,536. But megamillions.com also tells us that a lot of New Jersey residents have taken those odds and beaten them.
On March 3, 2009, $216 million was won by 10 co-workers from Chubb Insurance in Whitehouse Station, while on July 22, 2008, $126 million was won by the Lopes Family of Union County.
November 10, 2009 saw the Lopes Family of Union County win(yes, again) a share of a $77 million jackpot worth $38.5 million. And Elaine and Harold Messner of Woodbine, split a jackpot of $390 million, with each winning ticket being worth $195 million on March 6, 2007.
On December 18, 2007 a group of educators in Morris County split a pot of $163 million, with each winning ticket being worth $81.5 million.
On June 2, 2006 $47 million was won by Raynald Holder of New Brunswick. And Martin Fogarty of Hasbrouck Heights won $15 million on September 26, 2006.
On September 16, 2005, $258 million was won by Harold and Helen Lerner of Rutherford, July 27, 2004 saw $10 million won by Frank Zielinski & sons of Staten Island and Cherry Hill, and December 3, 2004 saw $25 million won by Hackensack Resources Associates, LLC in NJ.
Cornell and Teri Davis of Englewood won $43 million on March 14, 2003, October 7, 2003 saw Cindy Wilson of Neptune Township win $12 million, and on July 16, 2002, $165 million was won by Sundel "Sonny" Judson of Cliffside Park.
The lottery always said it pays to dream. It may seem like an impossible one, but it does happen. Often to someone near you.
Please dont forget to leave a comments.. thanks and have fun
