Mega Millions Winner A Mystery Thanks To Site Minimization

 (AP) – Thousands of people lined up in 41 states and Washington, DC, before the Mega Millions drawing Tuesday in hopes of buying the winning ticket in a lottery game and 355 million jackpots
   For the past couple of days, gamblers in states such as California, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Washington, and dozens of other states have been lining up to buy lottery tickets for the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday evening. With the estimated jackpot over $350 million, the jackpot was already one of the top four of all-time in the US. By the time the drawing was complete, gamblers had already started to flood the officials website to see if they had become the newest Mega Millions winner.
Unfortunately, the gamblers will have to wait a bit longer to find out if anyone won. If the gamblers was holding the winning ticket, they would know, because the winning numbers were posted. What was not posted, however, was whether anyone won the $355 million.
"Due to unprecedented traffic, our regular web site has been temporarily minimized to provide access to the greatest number of players possible," read a statement on the official Mega Millions website. The message was followed by the winning numbers from Tuesday's drawing.
It is likely that the winner, if any, will not be revealed until early Wednesday morning. Earlier Tuesday, lines of upwards of 500 people formed at some Mega Millions lottery retailers across the USS. The estimated #555 million was the second largest that has ever been seen on the Mega Millions lottery game.
   Mega Millions is one of two lotto games that can be played in many states in the US. Powerball holds the other two of the top four jackpots that have ever been won in the country. Gambling has become a major source of revenue for states during the economic recession, and even traditional Conservative states such as Texas and Alabama are considering gambling expansion.
The award is the fourth in the history of the United States and second in the history of Mega Millions, said Lottery spokeswoman Cindy Esquer of Arizona. Raffle prizes of $ 390 million in March 2007 and remains the richest nation on record.
“We have a pretty good flow of traffic since the purchase of tickets going,” said Bill Evans, owner of Beaver Dam Service Station northwestern Arizona. “As the day progresses, we will a line at the door, I’m sure.”