Winning Numbers Drawn as Mega Millions Jackpot Hits $200 Million

The multi-state game jackpot hasn't had a winner since Sept. 1, when a Georgia man matched all the Mega Millions winning numbers and won $12 million. Tuesday night's drawing for $170 million had no winner, although 10 tickets were worth second prizes of $250,000 each.

The largest payout in Mega Millions history was a $390 million jackpot split by a New Jersey couple from Cape May County and a truck driver in Georgia in 2007, who both had the Mega Millions winning numbers.

An agreement this week might add still more excitement to multi-state lotteries. The two best-known lotteries in the country, Mega Millions and Powerball have agreed to allow cross-selling, whereby states could sell tickets for both lotteries. The cross-selling could start as early as early 2010.

Meanwhile, for Friday, anyway, Powerball interest paled in comparison to interest in the Mega Millions winning numbers, as the Powerball jackpot is "only" $30 million today. Of course, no one would turn down the $30 million.

While people pore over the Powerball and Mega Millions winning numbers, how would you feel about a national lottery? That's still another possibility that was discussed this week once the cross-selling agreement was announced. Such a super lottery might happen as early as fall of 2010.