Lottery retailers feeling the buzz from record Mega Millions jackpot

WV MetroNews
 
Lottery retailers feeling the buzz from record Mega Millions jackpot
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ELKINS, W.Va. — There’s a buzz statewide and nationwide at local lottery retailers this week due to the record Mega Millions jackpot and the Part-Mat store in Elkins is no different.

Nancy, the Store Manager at Par-Mar Store 84 in Elkins told MetroNews that more than 1,600 Mega Millions tickets were sold Wednesday online through her store. The jackpot has climbed to $1.025 billion for Friday, with a cash value of 602.5 million.

“We’re selling a lot of tickets. We’d love to have someone in West Virginia. They are going to take us where we want to go when we bring. I’ve told customers to ‘bring it back, I’ll even drive you to Charleston,'” she said.

She expects a few thousand more tickets sold at her location until the Friday evening drawing. All tickets must be purchased by 9:59 p.m. ET Friday.

Tickets for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing can be purchased for $2 apiece, or $3 with the Megaplier option, which increases your non-jackpot prizes.

Nancy said the Mega Millions fever is driving up sales for other lottery games in her store and other products.

“Our customers are loyal, they are here every day. They would love to win. I’ve got groups of them who stay here and scratch tickets. They come in here to get a lot of their lottery,” she said.

To play Mega Millions, players select five numbers 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. There are nine prize tiers, ranging from $2 to the jackpot.

If hit Friday, it would become the third largest jackpot in Mega Millions history, according to the West Virginia Lottery.