Virginia Lottery officials said Mega Millions tickets are selling at a rapid clip for the New Year's Eve drawing.
Brisk sales in Virginia and elsewhere have prompted officials to increase the estimated jackpot by $5 million, to $242 million.
The Virginia Lottery said about 2.8 million tickets were expected to be sold in the state Friday. During the busiest times, including the lunch hour and evening rush hour, tickets are expected to sell at a rate of about 5,600 per minute.
The drawing is at 11 p.m. Odds of winning the jackpot are approximately one in 176 million.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
