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Mega Millions approaches record jackpot for Tuesday's game - San Jose Mercury News
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numbers, Dec. 13
DES MOINES, Iowa ( Strong weekend Mega Millions ticket sales easily could push Tuesday's jackpot
above last year's record $656 million prize, a lottery official said.
No ticket matched the six numbers needed to win Friday's $425 million prize. It was raised Saturday
to $550 million for Tuesday's drawing -- the fourth largest in U.S. history.
Paula Otto, executive director of the Virginia Lottery and Mega Millions' lead director, told the
Associated Press on Sunday that sales were up by as much as 20 percent over weekend numbers and
were expected to spike on Tuesday, the day of the drawing.
"I think we'll be very close to the record, and maybe even surpass it," Otto said, adding that sales are
difficult to predict.
Mega Millions lottery tickets print at the Bi Rite market
in Olmsted Township, Ohio onDec. 13, 2013.(Mark Duncan / AP)
"Lotto players are procrastinators. They tend to buy on the day of the draw," she said.
As of Friday, players had bought enough tickets to cover roughly half of the 259 million possible
number combinations, Otto said.