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Mega Millions® Jackpot Raised to $540 MILLION

3/29/2012 12:50:06 PM

COLUMBIA, SC (March 29, 2012) – The historic Mega Millions® jackpot has been raised to $540 MILLION for Friday night’s drawing, making it the largest jackpot in world history. The previous record stood at $390 million.

The winner can elect to take a one-time cash payment of $389 million.

Tickets for this more than half-a-billion dollar drawing are available at South Carolina lottery retailers statewide. Tickets cost $1, and in South Carolina must be purchased by 10 p.m. for Friday’s 11 p.m. drawing.

This jackpot has been growing since January 24, when Mega Millions® had its most recent jackpot winner. The jackpot has now rolled 18 times without a winner.

Nationally, more than 4.7 million tickets won prizes in Tuesday’s drawing, including four tickets that each won $1 million and 43 tickets that each won $250,000. In South Carolina, a York retailer sold a ticket worth $250,000.

The odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 175.7 million.

The Lottery urges players to play responsibly and safeguard your prize by signing the back of your ticket.

Mega Millions® is played in 44 jurisdictions (42 states plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands).

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