Pennsylvania Lottery stops Mega Millions sales ahead of massive $875M draw
A system upgrade Tuesday means that ticket sales at lottery retail locations are down for most of the day
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If you live in Pennsylvania, then your luck is probably out if you planned on purchasing a Mega Millions ticket with the hope of scooping up Tuesday night’s $875 million draw.
The Pennsylvania Lottery is undergoing a system upgrade on Tuesday, which means that ticket sales at lottery retail locations are down for most of the day.
"Draw games, like Powerball® and Mega Millions®, won't be available for purchase on palottery.com for a brief period," the Pennsylvania Lottery said in a statement.
The Pennsylvania Lottery has shut down lottery sales for the Mega Millions and Powerball draws Tuesday as it undergoes a system upgrade. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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The Mega Millions draw takes place as normal and only players who purchased tickets for the draw before Tuesday are eligible to play.
In addition, tickets are also unavailable for Powerball, Cash 5 with Quick Cash, Cash for Life, Pick Games and Match 6 Lotto on Tuesday.
The system is expected to be back up and running in time for Wednesday’s Powerball, which is rising to $687 million after no one won the jackpot Monday night.
Wednesday’s Powerball is rising to $687 million after no one won the jackpot Monday night. (iStock)
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The upgrade is a complete computer system transition that includes new data centers, test environments, communication centers and back office systems, the Pennsylvania Lottery told Fox 29 Pennsylvania.
A spokesperson for the lottery says it's not a matter of just flipping a switch, because there are so many moving parts behind the scenes.
"Opting for a delay would put us in a position where we would have to put off the transition for several months, not days," the spokesperson said.
A signboard ahead of the Oct. 11 draw in Los Angeles. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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The Pennsylvania Lottery says it will update their website and social media when the upgrades are finished.
The upgrades also mean it will take a little longer than usual to process claims during March, the Pennsylvania Lottery says.
In addition, PA Lottery retail coupons will not be redeemable from March 15 through 20, the lottery says.
Meanwhile, the California Lottery revealed last week that a person has come forward to claim the massive $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot win from October – the second-largest jackpot prize in history.
Theodorus Struyck was named as the representative of a group of winners that purchased the winning ticket at a store in Frazier Park in Kern County ahead of the Oct. 11 draw.