12:52 PM PST on Friday, February 20, 2004

By kgw.com and AP Staff

SEATTLE -- Would-be millionaires around the country scrambled for tickets Friday for the $230 million Mega Millions jackpot, the largest jackpot in that lottery's history; Washington is one of eleven states that takes part.

A man purchases Mega Millions tickets at a store in Michigan. (AP File Photo)

Friday's huge jackpot led to higher ticket sales, despite the dismal chances of landing the winning ticket. The odds of winning the jackpot were one in 135,145,920, according the Mega Millions Web site.

The drawing was scheduled for 11 p.m. eastern time in New York City's Times Square. If there's no winner, the jackpot would roll over to $290 million for next Tuesday's game.

The drawing for Mega Millions is usually held in Atlanta. But lottery officials had been waiting for a high jackpot to hold the drawing in Times Square, Landroche said.

The drawing will be held at Times Square Studios and some television stations will carry the drawing live. If no one wins Friday's jackpot, the drawing will continue to be held in Times Square until there is a winner, said lottery spokesman J.B. Landroche.

In Georgia alone, more than $1 million in Mega Millions tickets were sold Friday before noon, according to the Georgia Lottery. And that was before the peak time for ticket sales, which is in the evening.

In Ohio, $5,550 in tickets were being sold each minute, said Mardele Cohen, spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery.

"It's a chance to get something you don't have," said Minnie Young, 65, of Dayton, Ohio, who bought five Mega Millions tickets. "Somebody's got to win. Why not me? I've got four sisters. I could give them the money too."

Buying two tickets Friday at Jimbo's, a convenience store across the street from the University of Georgia campus, student Cassie Kourelis said she had big plans if she won.

"I'm going to get my mom back home with me, finish paying off college here, probably move away to some nice island where it's warm," she said.

Lines of ticket buyers have been forming the past few days during lunch time and the early evening hours, Athens, Ga., convenience store owners and cashiers said.

But Naeem Jabaid, a Quick Pantry cashier, said his customers were mostly buying small amounts of tickets.

"They are calm. They're not buying like they used to buy -- a hundred, a hundred, a hundred," he said.

The Mega Millions lottery began in May 2002. States participating in the game are: Georgia, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas and Washington.