$500 MILLION: Mega Millions sets all-time lottery jackpot record

He's going to be just like that guy.

i thought somebody said it was only 180 days

Depends on the state...

Yeah... Waiting until the last minute is a bad idea.

Take the cash and easily live off a fraction of the interest.

Y do u hafta be such a negative Nathan??? :-(

Because money make people do strange things even for the ones who never won the big one yet!

My state you have 180 days (6 months) to turn in the ticket and 60 days after winning to choose

lump sum or aunnity.

Where did u find that info? i haven't really had a chance to search much... use my phone for internet :-/

That's alot of reflecting time, Aust. Too much reflecting time.

Don't you have 180 days from drawing date to claim? Believe that's true for most states.

You want to sign your winning ticket, place it in safe deposit box. You want your wife or significant other---if on good terms--to know where that ticket is and have key to deposit box. If not on good terms, she shouldn't even know a safe depost box exists .

Then take some time to get your 'house' in order with tax/financial'/legal folks while working on the totally-fake, completely-fabricated story you're telling your place of work about why you're leaving after a two-week notice. (spending quality time with the family usually works)

After that--and that might take a month or two--do your 'reflection' thing for maybe a week, maybe do some fishin', look around your community where your upcoming genorosity would come into play, then come back and pull that trigger, hopefully with some legal eagle claiming your windfall in the name of a trust.

Heres our options in FL:

All Florida Lottery On-line games (CASH 3, PLAY 4, FANTASY 5, MEGA MONEY, FLORIDA LOTTO and POWERBALL) prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the applicable draw date. Florida Lottery Scratch-Off game prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO and MEGA MONEY jackpot winners who want to receive a one-time lump-sum payment must claim their prizes within 60 days after the applicable draw date.

First time posting in this world record breaking jackpot. Half of a billion dollars, just. WOW. 

I've been following the lotto fever from you guys though, and it's been a very fun, and in some cases, very enlightening read! There is a "wealth" of information in these posts, ha ha! It's been so much fun getting excited and just watching how all of this is unfolding. Hope you don't mind me jumping into the party~? 

Here's another Central Floridian wishing that MegaMillions was readily available in Florida.  I hope after seeing how well MegaMillions is doing right now, Florida will reconsider. Maybe we can all send emails together to request for Florida to bring MegaMillions? Seems like a lot of us really have to go out of our way to catch this particular dream, one that I can't do. I actually have never shelled out money to play any kind of lottery, but I may have splurged on this. /just curious lottery player-to-be

Anyway, I'm wishing everyone on Lottery Post the BEST of luck! You guys are an awesome bunch! 

Your state lottery should have a website with information on how long you have to turn in your ticket.

The site has more information on how to fill out the claim form, addresses and phone numbers ect..

Look it up and you'll get a lot of questions anwered that pertain to your state lotto.

Thanks :-D

Some smart cookie in Florida needs to start a Lotto Ride business, charge people enough

for gas and lotto tickets for himself to shuttle back and forth.

Win it first then start worrying about all the ifs ands or buts. That is my advice.

Cart before the horse. 

I put in $5 in an office pool and will separately play another $20.

Yeah, I know.  Stay away from pools you say. 

My take is that the problems associated with pools, be they lawsuits or attempts by fellow workmates to screw you, are far much more desirable and attractive than the problems I would think myself to have had I not partaken in the pool.  In truth, pools have a 50/50 chance of developing into devious selfishness… but I'll just man up and deal with it.

The way I see it, I would rather be embroiled in a protracted two year lawsuit that may eventually pay (even if just a fraction of my fair share) rather than be the unlucky fellow who stays behind at work after everyone else wins, resigns and takes off to the Caribbean islands.  I know I can deal with the heartache of loosing close workmates and friends if in the end I walk out with a few millions in my back pocket.

Point is, thou shalt not fear the pool.  Just do it right… get copies of all tickets (front and back for serial numbers).  Give yourself every opportunity to win.  Play in several pools and as many individual tickets as you can afford.

Outside of that, Good Luck to y'all.

GambleToRamble....There was a show idk if it was Lottery changed my life, but one man bought a multi-draw ticket I don't remember for how many draws but I believe it was over 7draws, and on the last draw he won a huge jackpot.....I don't rem if it was PB or MM. I hope that helps.  Good luck to all.

Half a Billion...I have been good I do deserve the jackpot.