New York state sales so far this year for the multi-state Mega Millions game — which offers minimum jackpots of $10 million that have sometimes gone into the nine-digit range — are at $411 million, a 20 percent increase over the same period last year, according to state Lottery statistics.

At the same time, Mega Millions Lottery Tickets, Megamillions, Megamillion, Mega Million, Powerball Lottery Tickets, Powerball Tickets and Powerball Online with its $3 million minimum jackpot has generated just $260 million in sales so far this year — a 14 percent drop from the same period last year and a 31 percent decline since 2001, the year before Mega Millions came to New York.

"Players play more when there are higher jackpots," said state Lottery spokeswoman Jennifer Mauer.