The next drawing is slated for December 17 at 11
p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday (0400 GMT Wednesday), according to
the lottery's website, megamillions.com.
If a jackpot winner chose to take that prize, which remains the
second largest in Mega Millions' 17-year history, as a lump sum
payout rather than in 30 annual payments it would amount to $295
million, the lottery said.
No one has won the jackpot in more than two months, pushing the
purse steadily higher, although it remains below the record $656
million won on March 30, 2012. The next-largest Mega Millions
prizes were $390 million and $380 million.
No purchased ticket matched the winning six numbers drawn on
what some consider an unlucky date — Friday the 13th — for an
estimated $425 million, or $228 million for the annuity option.
Those numbers were: 19, 24, 26, 27, 70 and 12.
Sam Tomanelli, a 57-year-old chef at Barnard College, buying a
ticket at a grocery store on Manhattan's Upper West Side, said
he would share any winnings with friends, family and his church.
"You can't take it with you, you know?" he said.
Another ticket buyer, Pim Keo, had visions of a new home,
investments and gifts to relatives.
"I have a lot of family," the 47-year-old restaurant cashier
said. "Some of them pretend like they don't know me now, but
they'd definitely know me after that."
On Manhattan's Upper East Side, Remigio Raicovich, 78, stood in
line to buy a ticket for the game he has played twice a week,
every week for the last five years.
"Who knows, maybe once I'll get it right," Raicovich said.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner,
Elizabeth Dilts, Barbara Goldberg and Eric M. Johnson; editing
by Louise Ireland)
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