newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The jackpot is back over three figures for tonight’s multi-state Mega millions lottery.

Tonight’s prize is $105 million, with a cash option for $66.1 million.

The last jackpot was won on February 1, with two winners splitting $93 million.

Many lottery players still remember January 4 of this year, when hundreds of potential winners waited in line for several hours to buy Mega Millions tickets for the $355 million drawing later on that evening.

According to njtoday.net, two New Jersey players won the Mega Millions second prize of $250,000 in the Tuesday, March 1 drawing. One of the winning tickets was sold at a Linden 7-11, while the other was purchases at State News in Jersey City.

Lottery Executive Director Carole Hedinger said they will each receive a bonus check for $500 for selling the winning tickets. According to Hedinger, 55,527 other New Jersey players took home $265,770 in prizes ranging from $2 to $10,000.

MEGA MILLIONS WINNING NUMBERS FOR MARCH 4, 2011:

8, 10, 15, 23, 41 Mega Ball = 7

Starting in January, New Jersey Mega millions players received another option to increase their chances of winning. For an extra $1.00 per play, they can add the Megaplier option to Mega Millions purchases.

According to the New Jersey Lottery web site, the Megaplier multiplies all prizes other than jackpot and second-tier prizes by the drawing's randomly selected Megaplier number — two, three or four. Players who purchase the Megaplier option and match five numbers without matching the Mega Ball automatically win $1,000,000, regardless of the Megaplier number. All other non-jackpot prizes will be multiplied by the Megaplier number drawn.

Megamillions.com reminds players that winners can choose how they would like to be paid. The annuity option provides annual payments over a 26-year period, while the cash option will be a one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.

Estimated cash values are below:

Advertised Jackpot   Annual Payout            Approx. Cash Value

$12 million      $461,538/year        $7,042,000

$25 million      $961,538/year        $14,670,000

$60 million      $2,307,692/year     $35,210,000

$137 million    $5,269,231/year     $80,396,000

$270 million    $10,384,615/year   $158,445,000

$331 million    $12,730,769/year   $194,242,000

Lotteryusa.com mentions that Mega Millions results are drawn at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays and tickets can be purchased up to 15 minutes before the drawing.