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Mega Millions Jackpot Reaches $100 Million

CHICAGO, Illinois – (Press Release) -- Illinois Lottery players now have millions of reasons to celebrate thanks to the Lottery's Mega Millions $100 million jackpot.

Mega Millions debuted on May 15, 2002, replacing the Big Game. Currently, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, Georgia and Texas are members of the Mega Millions group. Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 p.m. and broadcast on WGN-TV. Tickets cost $1 and can be purchased in Illinois until 9:45 p.m. Prizes range from $2 to the jackpot.

The current jackpot began at $10 million on November 14, 2003. The largest North American jackpot ever was the Big Game's $363 million in May, 2000. It was shared by a Lake County, IL family and a Michigan family. Since the Big Game/Mega Millions inception in 1996, Illinois has awarded more prize money and had twice as many grand-prize winners (26) than the next closest state (Georgia with 13). The Big Game/Mega Millions has awarded more than $1 billion in prizes to Illinois Lottery players. Since the Lottery's inception in 1974, the Lottery has contributed $11.6 billion dollars to the State's Common School Fund.

The Illinois Lottery is a state agency with annual sales of nearly $1.6 billion. All Lottery profits are deposited into the state's Common School Fund to assist K-12 public education in Illinois.

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