Speechless! The saga continues. I have not won yet and I already can't sleep.

I guest the MD website wasn't wrong after all!

This is beyond mind blowing in the amount.  Although I am still holding out for the j/p to get to 700M$ by the time of the draw.  And if we happen to NOT have a winner tonight; things are really going to get wild!

Lottery officials must be dizzy and working around the clock. Hmm..wondering if I should offer a coffee delivery service or set up my hot dog stand just outside the main door. Who has time for lunch in historic moments as these!

Wow....640 million...Just wow....

$700M+ by draw time?

WAAAAAA HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo......go MM GO !!!

Individual lotteries get such updates an hour in advance (minimum) with instructions to post at specific times. Of course eager beaver IT guys who wanted to get to lunch at noon on the dot posted a few minutes earlier than the official website. After you mentioned it I started scouting other websites and knew all couldn't be making the same "mistake".

Poor PB... our local store has sold 0 powerball tickets in the last 2 days. (no shock on my end)

I guess that's how USA Mega got it posted before noon too.  Except I still haven't taken a lunch break! 

I was leery myself as I didn't want to post a misleading number. Thanks for the info!

This is a lifetime event.....  This has surpassed anyone's imagination!!!!!!!!!

I will do a lot of good all over the world.

I joined in on the MANIA, lol

Picked 1 set of MM numbers, and bought 1 quick pick.

Good Luck tonight everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My ticket still reads:  $540 Million.

Holy Crap!!!!!...our pool at work have 100 tickets!

Please let it be!!!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

Maybe they will roll back the price now. No Powerball winner Saturday so it will probably stay at $60 million. I bet they wish Powerball was getting all this media coverage and sales. I took my money to Georgia because we don't have Mega Millions in Florida.

I wonder when the federal government will get the clue that this is THE way to take care of the deficit?  Have a NATIONAL lottery system... with all proceeds - not earmarked for prizes - going toward paying off the deficit.  A few 640M$ jackpots and we would have the problem solved.

Todd- you need to take a little breather as I have no doubt you have been overwhelmed with this on going event...it will get a lot more hectic this evening so fuel up. 

When this jackpot is won, we will all be suffering from lottery fatique. But only until the next drawing.

If I win I will be suffering from that mysterious illness Sudden Wealth Syndrome or Affluenza. Signs and symptoms are feelings of guilt, alienation, fear and uncertainty. I wonder if there is a cure.

I feel like I'm in an alternate dimension

     Todd, have a big plate of food, lotsa carbs , you might be busy

Who you kidding? I've been on this site since last night I'm about to go to bed right now! lol

Weither I win or lose this has been a fun ride!!!!!!!!!

Mega Millions and Powerball can be likened to the NCAA March Madness and the NIT...right now, Mega Millions is the BIG Dance and Powerball is the forgotten step child! 

All of my money has gone to Mega Millions.  I raided my IRAs and invested it all in Mega Millions drawing for tonight!  I sure hope I win because if not I am so royally screwed!

Psych!  I would never do anything that foolish but I bet some people have thought of doing something like that!  I can imagine a lot of businesses are not seeing much business because peeps are throwing their cash at a lot of dollars and a dream!  Heck even an NBA player plans to buy 10K in tickets.  Good luck on checking to see if you have a winner playa!  I will settle for my few bucks of tickets.  May the Mega Millions balls roll nicely for me!  Yeah I am selfish...thanks for contributing to the frenzy!

Its gonna come close or double the previous 390mill. Can't wait to see how many tickets are sold.

I bought a single PB ticket today. There's been, what....three winners in last couple weeks? All in $60-70 million range, which is far better than all but a very lucky few will do tonight in the MM. It's still well worth laying down $2.

Chick-fil-A for lunch sounds good today, nom nom nom! 

Hard to believe the cash option would buy nearly 100,000,000 chicken sandwiches!

Mathematically there is no way that there will be one jackpot winner.... with ticket sales in the millions in one 24 hour stretch alone the possibility of just having one or even two winners is slim to none. When I saw the jackpot roll a few moments ago I knew that there was no way I would be the sole winner. it's just not possible... this jackpot will be the world record holder for a little while.... Powerball's new price and there matrix will place them in the 400-500 million range every two years or so... as for mega millions we will have to wait for another 5-7 years to see this again.

Hard to imagine that this current jackpot has almost doubled(and most likely will) the previous cash option record of $240mil.

I would be interested to see the number of QP tickets that are identicals...For example: 200 million tickets sold, are 25 million or more of those tickets with the same 6 numbers ??

Here are the winning numbers!  ** ** ** ** ** MBALL **.  I wonder if my local grocery can cash that check for me, of course I will pay the $3 fee for doing it.  $640,000,000.00... that is a lot of aughts!  I need to go shopping for a disguise because I sure am not going to show my true ugly mug to the cameras.  "I would like to thank everyone who purchased tickets to make this jackpot possible".  Rest assured I will do good with the money, but don't stand in line, because I am not at the end.   

Who's using a toddler to pick the winning numbers for them?

  I am ready to win the Mega Millions ........

   Everything is in order ............

i was just  thinking to get my nephew to pick some digits for me ..

That's what my buddy just said.. $1 a ticket to start getting the country out of debt!!

I pick one, free, seben, one, two, and free! 

lol  brees. I hear ya my friend.....I am almost scared at the thought of possibly being THE winner of that amount of $$........keyword here is "almost"

 I wished , I knew the numbers before it's picked ............I'll be at the store buying one more set of numbers  . lol  .........

Wow,this is getting out of hand. Guess the recession is over.

Didn't even think about it. I will have to get my 3 year-old son to help Mommy out a little bit

Thanks for the suggestion!

I can't fathom winning a jackpot this huge... so I'm dreaming of the PB one...

Still got my $3 in though.

That is a good idea Brees!  I'd better pick up an extra set.  When they ask me why I picked the same numbers twice I will say " Brees told me to"! 

3 year olds can see spirits can't they ?...well tell em to talk to the spirit that knows the right numbers !!!!

Perhaps for the winner(s) but not for the others who have plunked down over 600 million just in this latest drawing.

Just think... those with birthdays today (GRRowl,  SassysBaibeee,  Taylorcat,  jaylon,luckismyname,  Lingrid, &  KT64) will have a unique distinction (provided the j/p is won tonight).  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALL!

3 year olds may see the spirits, but after tonight I'll be drinking the spirits! 

Well , I know an autistic guy in my business community son of a heavy gambler that gives us great 3ball wins periodically.

LOL.  I did actually pick the same set of numbers twice yesterday - by accident.  I'd filled out new MM playslips and apparently only had five numbers picked.  So I quickly added another and, as it turned out, that gave me a line which was identical to one I'd already played.

Oh Rad, say it isn't so!   

Just came from my buddy's store. Some guy played $3000. Holy Crap!

We might see an update post in the jackpot forums by Prob988 with  very accurate figures, but as a rougher approximation, here's what probability says. I'll figure sales of 650 million tickets when it's all finished, and ignore things being a bit skewed by the non-random picks a lot of people make.

There should be about 172,920,000 combinations in play, leaving about 2.8 million unplayed. Almost 160 million should have been played at least twice. That makes the chance of a single winner about 8%. That leaves a 90% chance of multiple winners, with 3 or 4 being the most likely.

The cash value is $462 million and about $288 million AFTER taxes!

All the experts are coming out of the woodwork and offering advice on everything from how to pick your numbers to what should be done if you win. The best advice I heard was to first "SIGN THE BACK OF THE TICKET" before doing anything else so I decided to sign them all before the drawing because even if it's split 10 or more ways, it might take days before my hand stopped shaking.

Because the jackpot has grown in stages from the first estimate on Tuesday night, players are buying extra tickets and it's probably a good idea to put them all in the one place. For those in pools or made verbal agreements with other players, you might need a really good lawyer to sort things out.

It looks like they are estimating 400 million tickets will be sold. There is rumor going around under the $640 million figure on MM website, somebody added "*Eat your heart out, PowerBall!" that was quickly removed.

    They would laugh at you .........lol ............I feel lucky , I am 100% ready to win the Mega Millions ........

    I will follow my list , and I will do the right thing ( it wouldn't be in my nature , not to do wrong anyways ).

    I want to help people , and pay it forward .

You can thank me for that. No one ever used to mention that until I suggested it on Yahoo on a lottery article one day a while back. (I know this because my comment was the top voted comment out of thousands for that article). Now everyone suggests it, although I have seen some tell you to sign it after you win which is dumb. What if you lose your ticket or someone steals it beforehand?

Brees, I was wondering, does buying a brothel in Vegas count as helping people and paying it forward ??

I love that u said that!!!! I've had a lot of pay it forward thoughts in mind.. Just watched that movie a few weeks  ago.. :-)

            VernonV12..........Thank You ..........

  DANG!  Why didn't I think of that! You're a genius!

Then (if I'm correct) you cannot claim it under a trust or lawyer.. Well anonymously.. Because ur name is already on the ticket... Don't know if u really care if ur in the media or not but that was my understanding

Eat your heart out? lol! That would be like a Tide commercial dissing Gain Detergent. They compete in a sense but are both owned by Procter & Gamble as the two major lotteries are ran by the MUSL.

I think in time, history will reflect that PB will produce more jackpots and Mega Millions will maintain the record of having more of the larger jackpots.

On the advice of my council of psychics I didn't cross the border for this one. The stars aren't lined up in my favor - lol.

Thank you Leroy, always looking to help others in "need" 

Maybe specials could be ran like 'Buy one get one 50% off'.

    Thank You ..........Ashabug725

Would it be savvy to "reinvest" the profits back into the business?

I don't know about them, but you are A okay in my book, especially if you comp me a visit or two. lol

What are the site traffic numbers gonna be on here after 11 p.m. tonight?

Hey V, what are friends for anyways...besides, it could a relaxing  and educational vacation !

ERROR CODE 500 

He gets in moods where he just repeats numbers over and over again. No one tries to extract numbers from him or any thing of that nature. He works in the community and is treated with respect like every one else.

WOW!!!!! I am going to be up all night!!!!!!

What a relief.  He didn't happen to blurt out anything today did he? 

I haven't left my office for the day. Usually run into him during lunch. I'm in the middle of salary reviews so you can imagine MONEY is on my mind in more ways than one! lol

If you sign the back of ticket, can you still claim it in a blind trust.

I just sent my daughter to get numbers from the chickens, turkey, horses, fish and barn cat.

I'm hoping they'll do a better job with numbers than I've done up 'til now.

Holy Moly.

I don't think so... it's one of those things that prevents me from signing my tickets.

 As usual I use my dream numbers for tonight's jackpot. In my dream a few years ago John Lithgow and Willam H. Macy showed up and gave me the numbers, and told me which one the mega number was.

I did a mindmeld with Spock last night...so I am all set

"NBA basketball player Chris Singleton, who earns a reported $1.5m playing for the Washington Wizards, said on Twitter that he planned to splurge $10,000 on tickets."

Found on another website... 

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is one good reason why many pro-athletes file for bankruptcy shortly after their retirement. 

Thinking between 2 to 4 jackpot winners on this one, bet each one of them plops down $20 or less for tickets.

Once I get out today to turn in my payslip for $1 I'll have put down $4 total on this draw.

I think it is a lot more riskier not to sign a ticket, until you sign it it's anyone's ticket. You never had to not sign a $700 or more ticket yet. Easier said than done. If something happened to it and it was not signed, imagine the feeling.

Oh my word you are CRAZY CDanaT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, the trust has to claim it. If I were to win, I would not sign my ticket but I would make copies (front/back) and place my ticket in a ziplock bag prior to locking in in my safe.

Once I formed the trust or LLC then I would I would endorse under that name and have my attorney claim it.

uhh... CDanaT, that would be illegal,

you need to go outside clark county.

You're right.

A winner that wants to go the Trust route would be best off taking a bunch of close up photos, both front and back of the ticket.

Then lock the ticket up in a bank safe deposit box.

Take the one copy of the photos and put them in an envelope addressed to yourself. Seal it and get the local post office to stamp a post mark over the sealed portion of the envelope. Store it somewhere safe.

Look for a attorney or law firm with a long and reputable history that specializes in Trusts and Estates. Shop around and always get a 2nd or 3rd opinion.

Look for several top notch finanncial advisors and plan to diversify your investments.

Always get your legal and finanncial ducks in a row before signing the ticket with the name of your trust.

You are not alone, I thought I was the only one who couldn't sleep this week.

DCF - your tag line has given my dh much cause to give me CONSTANT suggestions for tag lines I could use.  So far from what he has given me I like:  "My dh is my trophy husband, still after all these years." or "dh's of the world better unionize while y'all still make more money %-wise"

Driving to the lawyer's office with my unsigned ticket, get broadsided by a truck and knocked unconscious, paramedics arrive, see ticket in your pocket and take it, sign it and claim your money. Maybe you will win, maybe you won't, maybe you will have to split the money. There are a million alternate scenarios where things can go very wrong. 

No thanks, I will sign my tickets as soon as they are printed, you can do whatever you want. If I have to claim it in my name BFD. There is a hedge fund manager today that made $4 billion this year and he is walking around just fine, I think I will be okay. 

LOL

why? because you think you are going to win a 175 million to 1 shot. also, if you win and don't tell anyone you might as well tape it to the outside of your refrigerator.

Good - that's what I thought and have been ready to do. Thanks!

Now if the lucky numbers come to me tonight!!!

My predictions:

New York will have 30+ second prize $250k winners

California will have 20+ second prize $250k winners

At least 2 jackpot tickets will be sold in New York

At least 1 jackpot ticket will be sold in California

What blows me away is the fact that the cash value is almost to what the original amount was for tonight!!! Wow!!

LOL... I love them both, now I am going to have to change mine....LOL...

well max, looks like you got that one 

If I win I'll cash in on Monday morning and then spend all day doing as many interviews as possible. I want to be on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, Dateline, Good Morning America and enjoy my new national fame!

Am always thinking positive why not? Any one of us could win just a matter of our numbers being called..

If I did win I wouldn't say anything or claim until a few months just to make sure everything was in order.

GOOD LUCK ALL..

"Take the one copy of the photos and put them in an envelope addressed to yourself. Seal it and get the local post office to stamp a post mark over the sealed portion of the envelope. Store it somewhere safe. "

---------------

I'm curious...  What's the point in mailing yourself a copy? 

I was just thinking I'd make a few copies, front and back.  Probably sign a copy of the ticket, just for grins. (If someone stole the original ticket - when I'm hit by a bus on the way to my lawyer - and signed their name, how would I have a clean copy of it with my name signed?)

Mainly, I'd take a few digital pictures of the ticket, me holding the ticket, my wife holding the ticket, maybe in front of the TV or computer screen with a related story up. 

Seems like that would be pretty good proof, if something happened to the original ticket.

So, why the mail???

I like the photo idea, in addition to copying it and putting it in a bank safe deposit box. Actually, I've planned to make a few copies and put another copy in a different bank safe deposit box.  :-D

This is getting out of hand...Sports teams are pooling their money together and purchasing 10,000 tickets. Celebrities are buying tickets. Politics are buying tickets. Sum1 will win tonight, and I would b all but happy if sum1 with a large estate of cash already win this. Celebrities purchasing 1,500 tickets at a time make my measely 20 appear to b nothing. I knw every one has the same odds but I just dnt feel like I'm competing. I really just realized I only have 10 out of the possible 175,800,000 sets of numbers tht can come out. Dis couraged isn't even the word. I shoulda just bought 1 ticker for 1 dream cuz now I've waisted 9 bucks.

If I win I'll waste 98% of it all within a year just for the fun of it (including donating massive amounts), and live off the other 2% for the rest of my life.

But that first year will be epic, as long as I don't end up dead!

Part of me wants to have an entourage of fire breathing midgets escourt me to the lottery commission headquarters to claim a prize.

But if I won (longshot just like everyone else), I think I would claim it without the fanfare and slip back into the shadows too.

I love my privacy too much. 

This is so unreal! It's gonna be insane if there's only 1 winner. But it's gonna be a crazy amount of winners for the 2nd prize; there were lots of winners for the last 3 drawings. I predict 250+ second prize winners!

It's baffling to me how so many athletes, celebs, and current millionaires are dropping thousands of dollars on tickets; it sucks that MM doesn't show favortism to those faithful players. I guess if I had $10,000 to spend on tickets, like athlete Chris Singleton, I would do it too. Imagine the headache of having to sort through thousands of tickets to see if you're the winner.  

I only bought 2 QP tickets but I have some self picks that I'll be playing today. Good luck everyone!

thats why i have 3$ in it, same amount as when the JP is 12 mils.

Haha, serves 'em right for doubling their ticket cost.

"The $640 million jackpot blows away the previous record by a whopping $250 million.  "This is about dreams," said Martino. "Even people who don't typically play begin envisioning what they would do with over half a billion dollars."

So people weren't dreaming what to do with only $250 million dollars? LOL. I thought this was kinda silly to say.

BTW,is there anything that tells us exactly HOW MANY tickets are being sold? Do they know? We know the jackpot is worth that but that can't be how many tickets were sold,right?

Not mail it, just get a postmark with the location, date and time on the envelope, even better if it is done just after taking the photos.

Your option would also hold up as proof it belongs to you incase something happens to the original.

Stay positive Collegelad, remember Mrs. Wright spent $9.00 & won $336 million!!!! ....

Todd, go eat joyfully & chew slowly now! You must gather your strength so that you will be strong enough to type the next and final jackpot increase revision mid evening tonight.

Santa loves you, too, Todd!

ooOOOooo I got my normal 2$ in... plus the 5$ I was "given" by a company who owes me mega-bucks... grrrr.

Dallas, u always give positive advice...I hope sum1 as sweet as u wins. Not sum jerk celebrity or NBA player. Good luck to u to.

signed - & notorized COPY would also work.

Seriously? We are talking about making copies and all this if the ticket gets lost? If it gets lost, you deserve to lose it! It's no different if you win 1.00 on it or the jackpot. It's just a ticket. No matter how big the win. Nobody will know except for you yourself so just drive to lottery HQ and claim it. The more time you spent taking pics and scans and all that crap the more chances you have to lose it. I am playing every MegaBall with QP for the white balls 5 times each with MegaPlay on it and knowing I will have 5 chances to hit the jackpot becuase I'll be guaranteed to win at least 5 tickets. And guaranteed to lose on 225 of them unless any white balls line up.

So what does having a dated/timed copy do for you, versus just a copy? 

Seems like a photo of you holding the ticket would be MUCH better.  Granted, you said a photo would work as well, but I'm not getting what a dated/timed copy gets you.

You can photocopy, mail, take photos, whatever your little heart desires, just remember that posesssion is nine points of the law.

I really really hope think tht the more tickets you buy, the more you ensure a loss, and a very diss appointing night. You gotta think,ppl who invest 100's of dollars into the lottery are only doing it because they believe they will make a come up. But if u buy 10,000 dollars worth of tickets and neither of them are the winning set, well u can immagine tht dissappointment. I'm all I'm with 10. Possibly about to goplay sum more.

Just don't let your nerves get you into a car accident on the way to Lottery Headquarters!!!

Yes , they know you talk about big brother this is "BIG BROTHER". Yes being some of the tickets are double ,"which any one who really want to win big will not buy a ticket without the megaplier, that's the key to big wins even if it's not the JP. Listen and learn.

when i had a mobile locksmith service i had many customers that were chain stores & gas stations that were owned by corps.

so i was forced to give credit if i wanted their business.

at the bottom of my invoices i would write "terms 15 days same as cash"

this encourages the accts payable person to put your bill on top of the pile,

cause it implies that beyond 15 days there will be interest to pay.