Islanders buy $50,000 worth of Mega Millions tickets

Will the New York Islanders say "jackpot?" On Friday, the Mega Millions climbs to an astounding $1.28 billion as we inch closer to tonight's drawing. It's not every day that you hear a sports organization becomes involved in these types of festivities, but according to CNBC, "it's the third time in history that a Mega Millions jackpot has climbed into the 10-figure territory, and only the fourth billion-dollar lottery prize in U.S. history," so the Islanders are going to put their winning tickets to good use if they pull the winning ticket in the second largest in Mega Millions’ in history.

The Islanders' 50th season anniversary is approaching, and the purchase of $50,000 in tickets is part of celebrating the milestone. Monday's $830 million Mega Millions drawing saw no winners which skyrocketed the jackpot to today's $1.28 billion. If any of the Islanders' 25,000 purchased tickets hit the jackpot, the net winnings will be shared by Islanders full-season ticket members, suite holders, staff, and Islanders Children’s Foundation charity.

"As we prepare for our historic 50th anniversary season, we want to show our appreciation for our Islanders Season Ticket Members and staff and give them a chance to participate in this massive Mega Millions drawing. Revenue from lottery tickets is dedicated to education in New York State, so no matter what happens in today's historic drawing, important funds have been generated for education in the state, which supports our fan base and their families."

- Islanders Co-Owner, Jon Ledecky

If the total winnings don't add up to at least $250,000, the Islanders will donate the full amount to the Islanders Children’s Foundation. According to Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are roughly one in 302.6 million.

"We're excited to work with the New York Islanders, a long time partner, to leverage the widespread attention that the lottery is getting for the good of the community this week. This is a major event for the lottery industry as a whole and we are thrilled to be able to provide Americans with a more convenient and secure way to participate in this national moment. "

- CEO/Founder of Jackpot, Pete Sullivan

The purchase comes with the announcement that the Islanders have partnered with Jackpocket, the leading third-party app in the U.S. providing a secure way to order official state lottery tickets according to PRNewswire.