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$356 MILLION Mega Millions® Jackpot

3/26/2012 10:11:12 AM

COLUMBIA, SC (March 26, 2012) – The Mega Millions® jackpot has swelled to $356 MILLION for Tuesday night’s drawing, making it the third largest jackpot in game history.

The winner can elect a cash option of $255 million.

Ticket sales are swift in South Carolina.

“When we post a jackpot of this magnitude, it gets attention. Those that don’t play very often decide to take a chance,” said the Lottery’s Executive Director Paula Harper Bethea. “As always, we encourage players to please, above all else, play responsibly.”

The odds of winning the jackpot are long, about 1 in 175 million.

South Carolina began offering Mega Millions® in January of 2010 and has yet to produce a jackpot winner. A Beaufort man’s ticket proved lucky for the March 20 drawing, he won $250,000. Friday night’s drawing produced a $10,000 winner in South Carolina.

“We hope a South Carolinian will be the one to stop this jackpot run,” said Bethea. “A $356 million jackpot is exciting for our players and this state, but the real winner is education.”

South Carolinians wanting to take a chance on Tuesday night’s drawing must purchase tickets by 10 p.m. for the 11 p.m. drawing.

Mega Millions® tickets cost $1 and are available at lottery retailers statewide.

Players can purchase Megaplier® for an extra $1 to see their non-jackpot winnings multiplied by the Megaplier® number selected. Match 5 white balls with Megaplier® to win an automatic $1 million.

Good luck, South Carolina!

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