Mega Million Jackpot Swells To $ 640 Million

Lines of lottery tickets that inflated the Mega Millions jackpot record has risen to 640 million, thanks largely to players who have opened their wallets despite long odds of success. Officials estimated ticket buyers spent more than $ 1.46 billion for the jackpot when the numbers are drawn on Friday night.

A coffee worker in Arizona reported selling $ 2,600 tickets to a single buyer, while a retired soldier in Wisconsin has doubled its regular weekly ticket costs $ 55. But everyone would have to deposit millions more win to secure what could be the largest single payout of lottery in the world.

"I feel like a madman throwing that kind of money away," said Jesse Carter, who spent $ 55 and donated the last two tickets purchased in a store in Milwaukee on Friday in a charity. "But it's a chance you take in life, with everything you do."

The jackpot, if taken as a sum of $ 462 million lump sum and after federal tax withholding, working at about $ 347 million. With the chances of a jackpot by 176 million it would cost $ 176 million to redeem all the combinations. In this scenario, the strategy would gain $ 171 million less if your state does not want all taxes.

Laura Horsley, who is communications and marketing for a professional association, bought $ 20 million Quick Pick ticket at a downtown Washington, DC, Liquor Store Friday. But Horsley, who said she will not buy a lottery ticket unless the top jackpot of $ 100 million, remained realistic.

"I really do not think I will win, and I do not believe in superstitions or numbers or something like that," she said. "I just figured it was just around the corner. I'd be crazy not to at least give it a shot."

Thousands of players - who have converged on convenience stores in 42 states and Washington, DC, where Mega Millions tickets are sold - okay.

Kelly Cripe, a spokesman for the Texas Lottery Commission, said Tuesday, national sales for Mega Millions drawing totaled over $ 839 million. Officials have projected an additional $ 618.5 million in sales ahead of Friday's drawing, however, a number expected to total turnover of over $ 1.46 billion.

"This is unprecedented," Cripe said Friday via e-mail.

Indiana some players managed to get freebies, as a Hoosier Lottery officials gave away a free ticket to each of the Mega Millions 540 first players to several outlets across the state Friday - a plan announced before the jackpot increased by $ 100 million.

In Indianapolis, college student Chris Stewart said he showed at the lottery headquarters at 6.30am to be first in line.

"I've never seen a jackpot like this before," said Stewart, who bought five extra tickets. "If I won - I mean wow, I do not know what I would do, I would really think I could do with it!"..

The lines were at the door at Rosie Coffee Den in north-western Arizona in the rural community of White Hills, 72 miles southeast of Las Vegas and one of the closest points in Nevada - which offer no Mega Millions - for buyers to get in the game.

Rosie Christine Millim worker said there had been non-stop for four days.

"In one step, I sold $ 2,600 worth, therefore, was a person," she said.

Mike Catalano, chairman of the mathematics department at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD, concedes the calculation is clear: more tickets you buy, the better chances you have of winning. Better long-shot chance, of course.

"You are about 50 times more likely to be struck by lightning than winning the lottery, based on 90 people a year are struck by lightning," said Catalano. "Of course, if you buy 50 tickets, you have leveled your chances of winning the jackpot with being struck by lightning."

Based on the average of other U.S., you are about 8000 times more likely to be murdered than winning the lottery, and about 20,000 times more likely to die in a car accident than hitting the lucky numbers, Catalano said.

David Kramer, a lawyer in Lincoln, Nebraska, by buying his Mega Millions ticket was not on "a realistic opportunity to win."

"It's the fact that for three days, time to dream what I would do if I won is great entertainment and, frankly, a statement of great after a normal day," he said.

Eahmer Everett, 80, of St. Paul, Minn., said he has been playing the lottery "from the beginning."

"If I win, the first thing I will do is buy a (Tim) Tebow football shirt, and I will be facing Tebow," said Eahmer, who bought five tickets Thursday. "I am with him in accordance with a higher power. "

Lottery officials are happy to have made Mega Millions jackpot Friday feeds ticket sales, but even they warn against excessive spending.

"When people ask me, I tell them that the chances of a lottery game make a game of destiny," said Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Association Multi-State Lottery Urbandale, Iowa-based company, which oversees the Mega Millions, Powerball and other lotteries. "Just buy a ticket, sit down and see if fate points a finger at you for that day."

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