One Of Two Winning Mega Millions Tickets Sold In The Bronx!

The multi-state lottery drawing, Mega Millions, was up to $333 million when last night's drawing occurred—and one of the two winning tickets was sold in the Bronx! The winning numbers: 1-17-31-37-54, and the Mega Ball number was 31. The Daily News reports, "After taxes, the cash payout is estimated at $210.4 million. If no winners emerge, the jackpot will go up to $430 million - the largest lottery payout ever." Lottery ticket sellers wouldn't mind, as bigger jackpots mean more sales; a Lower East Side bodega owner said, "Some people buy $20 and $50 worth of tickets. One guy bought $100 worth today." And Newsday reveals, "Three New Yorkers, including one in Queens and one in the Bronx, hit for the second prize, worth $250,000. They had all five numbers correct, but failed to hit the Mega ball." Late last month, MTA worker Aubrey Boyce revealed he won the July 7 Mega Millions jackpot (he took a $55 million cash lump sum from the $133 million total) three weeks after the drawing.

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By Jen Chung in News on August 29, 2009 10:45 AM

Comments [rss]

jchez

The lottery should be treated as entertainment. If you don't play, your chances of winning are zero; for one dollar you get a tiny chance of winning and a short opportunity to daydream a bit.

If you play more than a dollar, however, you are just wasting your money because the difference between 1 in 195 million odds for $1 or 10 in 195 million odds for $10 is negligible and the daydreaming remains the same for both.

jules1000

I am fully aware that the chances of winning the lottery are close to zero. Yet whenever the jackpot is superhigh I do play.

It is a day of wonderful dreaming about all the amazing and beautiful things I would do with the money.

sigh... I had ONE number right.

until next time, hehe...

Mr Mel

The lottery is just another tax on the poor. This payoff will convince others that there's light at the end of the tunnel. One of the saddest sights in this city is seeing a working guy (or gal) standing outside a lottery vendor's store or stand scratching one of the game cards they had just purchased hoping for a way out of their drudgery or debt.

TKaisen

The odds of winning the grand prize on a Mega Millions ticket is around 1:175M. Once the payout is above that, you are actually getting real odds for your money.

So, yeah, while it's silly to spend hundreds of dollars per week on the state lottery, it's kind of dumb not to take a shot on the only "fair" offerings from state gambling.

barryap

Tax on the poor? Or tax on the stupid?

Son of Spam

"After taxes, the cash payout is estimated at $210.4 million. If no winners emerge, the jackpot will go up to $430 million - the largest lottery payout ever."

That's not the way it works. IIRC, the winners have a year to submit their winning ticket. If it is not claimed, the money is forfeited.

I think the daily news just re-edited a story that they had written before the winning numbers were drawn and forgot to take that sentence out.