State lottery officials expect millions of tickets to sell ahead of tonight’s Mega Millions drawing. The jackpot for Friday now sits at $540 million, making it a world record.
Wisconsin Lottery director Mike Edmonds says the massive prize on the line is creating a lot of buzz, and ticket sales have increased dramatically. He expects sales to pass the $7 million mark before tonight’s drawing, which would be five times more than the amount sold last week.
The odds of winning the top prize are 1:175 million, so Edmonds is urging people not to go overboard when buying tickets. Statistically speaking, he says buying one or a dozen tickets will not “increase your personal odds of winning significantly.”
In the event someone from Wisconsin manages to pick the winning numbers, Edmonds says the first people they contact should be a financial advisor and state Lottery officials. Due to the historic size of the jackpot, he’s predicting a “media circus” to surround anyone who wins.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (:49)
UPDATE: Mega Millions officials announced Friday afternoon that the jackpot has now grown to $640 million for Friday’s drawing.
