The New York lottery is selling almost $2 million in tickets an hour ahead of Tuesday night's record-breaking $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot - and the pot could still rise before the 11 p.m. drawing.
Between 11 a.m. and noon, retailers sold $1.8 million in tickets, the state commission told News 4. That was a sharp increase from what they sold in the 10 a.m. hour, and the figure could rise again later in the day, officials said.
Connecticut officials didn't put a dollar figure on their sales, but did say 3,400 wagers were being placed every minute.
The jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million.
It costs $2 to play the game, but the odds of winning aren't great. The chance of matching all six numbers and taking home the grand prize is one in 302.5 million.
The full prize is only for those who choose the 29-year annuity option. The lump-sum cash option currently stands at $904 million.
