March 9 , 2007

GEORGIA MAN WINS HALF OF RECORD $390 MILLION JACKPOT

ATLANTA – A Rocky Face, Ga. resident correctly selected the winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing and became one of two winners to share the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. Eddie Eugene Nabors, 52, claimed his half of the record-breaking $390 million jackpot at Georgia Lottery headquarters in downtown Atlanta Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s always exciting when a Mega Millions jackpot ticket is purchased in Georgia,” said Georgia Lottery Corporation President and CEO Margaret DeFrancisco. “Lottery-funded HOPE and Prekindergarten programs will see more dollars as a result of this record-breaking jackpot, which is something that all Georgians can celebrate.”

The jackpot amount increased from an advertised $370 million to $390 million as a result of strong sales. Nabors selected the cash option and will receive $116,557,083 before taxes.

The winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing were: 16-22-29-39-42 and the Mega Ball was 20. Georgia Lottery retailer Favorite Market #0041, located at 2230 Abutment Rd. in Dalton, sold the Quik Pik ticket. A second jackpot ticket for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing was purchased in New Jersey.

“A coworker told me that somebody in Dalton won, so I looked it up in the newspaper,” Nabors said. “I couldn’t believe it. I’m numb.”

Nabors, a truck driver for Mohawk Industries, has three grown children and six grandchildren. When asked how he plans to use his winnings, Nabors replied, “I’m going to fish.”

He just purchased a new boat Friday and said he plans to take it “everywhere.”

Any Georgia Lottery retailer who sells a winning Mega Millions jackpot ticket can earn the $25,000 retailer incentive bonus payment. If more than one winning jackpot ticket is sold in Georgia, the retailers selling the winning tickets will share the $25,000 retailer incentive bonus. Favorite Market will receive the $25,000 retailer incentive bonus.

As with all other Georgia Lottery games, proceeds from Mega Millions will benefit education in the state of Georgia. Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned over $8.8 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Prekindergarten Program. More than 1 million students have received HOPE, and more than 790,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.

October, 2007

MEGA MILLIONS SETS NEW RECORDS

Mega Millions, the game that holds the record for the largest jackpot in North American history, began on August 31, 1996 as The Big Game.  The first drawing took place on September 6, 1996, with six states participating: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Virginia.

After exciting growth of the game in 1997, a Tuesday drawing was added in February of 1998. Players were given a larger choice of numbers and a "cash payout" option in January of 1999. Also in May of 1999, New Jersey was added as the seventh member state.

In May 2002, the multi-state game was given the new name of "Mega Millions," New York and Ohio became member states, and the game matrix and prize amounts were changed to offer players more excitement.

In September 2002, Washington became the 10th member state, followed by Texas in December 2003.  In June 2005, California became the 12th and newest member, solidifying Mega Millions as the country’s most widely played multi-state jackpot game.

On March 6, 2007, Mega Millions again made history with a jackpot of $390 million – setting the record for largest jackpot.


Tuesday, September 19, 2006