Middletown – January 12, 2010 - Pennsylvania will begin selling tickets for the Mega Millions? multi-state jackpot game on Jan. 31, Lottery Executive Director Ed Trees announced today. 

“Our players have told us that they want more opportunities to win bigger jackpots,” Trees said. “Players will soon be able to purchase Powerball tickets and Mega Millions tickets in Pennsylvania for more opportunities to win jackpots of tens- to hundreds-of-millions of dollars.”

Mega Millions jackpots start at $12 million, tickets cost $1 per play and drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. EST in Atlanta, Georgia. The first Mega Millions drawing for Pennsylvania players will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 2. 

Mega Millions tickets will be available for purchase at more than 8,400 Pennsylvania Lottery retailers, where players already purchase tickets for Powerball and other games. Tickets are available for purchase up to 13 weeks in advance and will be available for sale for the same night’s drawing until 9:59 p.m.

The Multi-State Lottery Association, which manages the Powerball game, and the Mega Millions consortium recently reached an agreement on cross-selling Powerball and Mega Millions across U.S. lottery jurisdictions.

The Lottery expects Mega Millions will generate about $80 million in sales during the final five months of the fiscal year, which would generate $19 million in net revenues for senior programs.

“This agreement translates into a new, exciting opportunity for players and increased revenue for essential services benefiting older Pennsylvanians,” Trees said.

In addition to Pennsylvania – which joined Powerball in June 2002 – 30 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands currently sell Powerball. Twelve states currently sell Mega Millions. The agreement between the Multi-State Lottery Association and the Mega Millions consortium allows all states involved to cross-sell Powerball and Mega Millions. 

Sales for Mega Millions began on May 15, 2002, and its first drawing was May 17, 2002. Mega Millions awarded North America’s largest jackpot, $390 million, from its March 6, 2007, drawing.

How to Play Mega Millions: Mega Millions tickets cost $1 per play. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 56 and one number from 1 to 46 (The Mega Ball). Players can pick their own numbers or have numbers randomly selected by computer. For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Megaplier. Prior to the Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier number – ranging from two to four – is randomly selected. Non-jackpot prizes from winning tickets with the Megaplier option will be multiplied by the Megaplier number.

About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to fund programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception 37 years ago, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed more than $19.2 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free and reduced-fare transit; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including more than 600 full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state. The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds its players to play responsibly. Players must be 18 or older.