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Mega Millions jackpot increases to $640 million

Updated: Fri 12:37 PM, Mar 30, 2012
A customer smiles after receiving a free Mega Millions Lottery ticket from the Hoosier Lottery's Mega Millions mascot at a store in Zionsville, Ind., Friday, March 30, 2012 (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A customer smiles after receiving a free Mega Millions Lottery ticket from the Hoosier Lottery's Mega Millions mascot at a store in Zionsville, Ind., Friday, March 30, 2012 (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

ATLANTA (WVLT/AP) — Lottery officials say they are increasing the MegaMillions lottery jackpot to $640 million, raising what was already a world-record prize.

Kimberly Starks, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Lottery, said Friday the jackpot had increased. The jackpot had stood at $540 million before Friday's announcement. The previous record jackpot was $390 million in 2007.

A drawing for the fortune is set for 11 p.m. Friday in Atlanta.

The odds of winning the jackpot had been set at about 1 in 176 million.

MegaMillions has drawn long lines of lottery players in stores in the 42 states plus Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands where tickets are sold. The world-record jackpot has also lured some residents to travel to other states to buy $1 tickets.

USlotteries.com says the most common winning numbers at 12-27-31-36 and 48-51-52-53, and the most common winning Extra Balls are 7, 9, 35 and 36.


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