Mega Millions Jackpot Reaches $163 Million

UNITED STATES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Mega Millions jackpot continues to create excitement, as a total of 931,218 tickets from coast to coast were winners in the Tuesday, September 12 drawing. Since no ticket matched all six numbers to win the estimated $135 million jackpot, the jackpot for the Friday, September 15, 2006 drawing grows to an estimated $163 million.

The winning numbers in Tuesday's drawing were: 03-16-25-30-44 and the Mega Ball number was 42.

A total of eight tickets came within a heartbeat of winning the jackpot by matching the first five numbers and only missing the Mega Ball number. Those tickets were purchased in California (2), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), New Jersey (2) and New York (1).

This jackpot has been growing since August 1, when Mega Millions had its most recent jackpot winner. The jackpot has now rolled 12 times without a winner. The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately one in 176 million. The odds of winning any of the Mega Millions prizes are approximately 1 in 40.

Mega Millions is played in 12 states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 PM Eastern Time, 10:00 PM Central Time and 8:00 PM Pacific Time.