New Hampshire lottery sales soar as big jackpots combine for nearly $2B
Lots of Granite Staters were buying lottery tickets Tuesday because the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are worth nearly $2 billion combined.
This is the third time in lottery history that the two jackpots have come close to a combined $2 billion.
The New Hampshire Lottery is expecting the Mega Millions jackpot to reach more than $1.1 billion, with a one-time cash payout expected to be over $537 million.
For Powerball, the New Hampshire Lottery is projecting it will reach $865 million Wednesday night.
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There are 45 states, along with Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C., that participate in both Mega Millions and Powerball.
New Hampshire Lottery executive director Charlie McIntyre said about 20,000 lottery transactions are processed in the state each minute. He said he also thinks New Hampshire is one of the luckiest states.
"Somebody in Raymond won $387 million, and somebody on the Seacoast, $165 million," he said. "So, all that money has been spent and absorbed and enjoyed in New Hampshire."
Mega Millions and Powerball are at their fifth highest combined jackpot in history, with the highest total ever being $2.2 billion.