Mega Millions jackpot reaches $201M

The Mega Millions jackpot is $201 million and area businesses say they are seeing a jump in tickets sales.

Employees of the 7-Eleven at 614 S. Washington in Saginaw, were waiting for the noon-hour rush of customers that usually flood the store when the payout is high.

“We get more customers, people that we don’t normally see, when the jackpot gets this big,” said a manager who only wanted to be identified by Tom.

Marlene Ramon, a clerk at Econo King, 1423 S. Michigan, says her location sees an increase as well.

“It gets busy once (the jackpot) gets up to 200 million,” she said.

Officials of the State of Michigan Lottery Claims and Regional Office located inside of the Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee, say the largest jackpot was won on March 6, 2007, in which a Georgia and New Jersey resident split $390 million.

A representative said their office which serves the Great Lakes Bay Region, Flint and most northern counties has paid out $3,288,420 in cash prizes so far this year.