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Mega Millions jackpot eludes Iowans
Mar. 31, 2012 3:11 pm
DES MOINES - Close, but no mega-millionaires. That was the word Saturday from state lottery officials.
Iowans plunked down $4.8 million this week for a shot at winning a $640 million Mega Millions jackpot, but none of the tickets sold in the state matched the numbers drawn Friday night.
The monster jackpot was split three ways by tickets purchased in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland, according to a news release issued Saturday by Iowa Lottery officials. The winning numbers in Friday's $640 million Mega Millions jackpot drawing were: 2-4-23-38-46 and Mega Ball 23. The “Megaplier” was 3.
Each winning jackpot ticket was estimated to be worth more than $213 million before taxes.
Official results show that 108,143 tickets sold in Iowa won prizes in Friday's record drawing, including two tickets that came within one number of the jackpot. Those two tickets were purchased in the southwest Iowa communities of Shelby and Council Bluffs, and won prizes of $10,000 each.
Nearly $3.2 million was spent on Friday in Iowa on the Mega Millions game. During the busiest stretch between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., about $6,000 per minute was being spent on the tickets in the state. The average individual purchase was $4.
HyVee customer service associate Liz Harmer of Cedar Rapids (right) sells Mega Millions tickets to Mike Lawrence of Cedar Rapids at the Wilson Avenue Hy-Vee on Friday, March 30, 2012, in Cedar Rapids. Lawrence, who is studying marketing management at Kirkwood Community College, was splitting the tickets with his sister, and said he would use his split of the winnings to open new businesses if he won the jackpot. As of 4 p.m. Friday, Iowa Lottery was selling $5,000 worth of tickets every minute for the $640 million jackpot. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
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