Mega Millions Lottery Awards Prodigious Multi-Million Jackpots

Mega Millions has awarded one of its largest jackpots to date - A grand prize of $250 million to one lucky winner.  However, the jackpot has not officially been awarded as of yet.  The ticket was purchased on September 16, 2005 in Rutherford, New Jersey, and still has not been claimed.  Official rules allow winners up to 180 days to claim the jackpot - so there is still plenty of time.

For those who do not know, Mega Millions is a U.S. based lottery that spans several states.  Tickets can be purchased in California, Georgia, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Washington and Michigan at any convenience store or business where state lottery tickets are sold.  The lottery works the same way as any state-run lottery, except that six winning numbers need to be chosen in order to win the maximum jackpot.  What makes this lottery better for the interests of all who play it is that more medium to large-sized winners are produced.  Five winning numbers still pays out a hefty jackpot, while the sixth number is considered a bonus, which if chosen correctly with five winning numbers, creates a very large jackpot.

In the September 6 drawing alone, over 850,000 tickets won a portion of the jackpot, with eight players taking home $250,000 each.  The large jackpot was not won, which carried over to the September 9 drawing estimated at over $170 million.  As of yet, the lottery cannot be played online or at online casinos and gambling sites.  Players must be physically present in one of the twelve states that sell tickets.  Drawings are every Wednesday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. Pacific Time, and 11 p.m. Eastern Time Zone.