Mega Millions buying frenzy sends jackpot beyond highest imagined amount
By Todd Northrop
Even the state lotteries offering Mega Millions did not imagine a jackpot this large.
When Mega Millions last changed its number matrix in June, 2005, the lotteries said that it created the possiblility "that could swell the game's jackpots as high as half a billion dollars." (See Odds longer, prizes bigger as California joins Mega Millions, Lottery Post, June 22, 2005.)
Could they have imagined that the cash value of a jackpot would reach that high? Or that it could produce an annuity worth $640 million? Probably not.
But here it is, and everyone around the nation is talking about it — and buying crazy numbers of tickets.
The lotteries have had to revise the jackpot estimate an astonishing three times since early Wednesday morning, due to ticket sales that keep exceeding estimates.
"Huge doesn't begin to describe the size of this jackpot," said Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino. "We've actually had to deliver extra rolls of paper to our retailers to make sure they have enough to meet the demand for tickets."
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."
The rush of people trying to check their numbers on the Internet tonight will likely have most Web sites swamped. Players are encouraged to check their numbers at USA Mega (www.usamega.com), which tends to survive incredible traffic volumes better than most state lottery Web sites.
"Players checking online should hang in there and refresh their Web browser every so often until they get through to the site," said Todd Northrop, founder of Lottery Post and USA Mega. "The rush of traffic happens right at 11:00 Eastern Time, so waiting a half hour or so before checking the numbers will probably be easiest."
In the meantime, lottery players dreaming about what $640 million means to them after taxes have been withheld can check USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page, which provides the information for each individual state.
Speechless! The saga continues. I have not won yet and I already can't sleep.
I guest the MD website wasn't wrong after all!
This is beyond mind blowing in the amount. Although I am still holding out for the j/p to get to 700M$ 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 !
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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.
Yes, but if you're in an accident on your way to the lawyer's office, and the paramedics take your ticket, as you suggested, having multiple photos of you holding the ticket would seem like it should hold a lot of weight in your lawsuit against the paramedic.
And to the other person who thinks it's crazy taking pictures and making copies, just claiming it right away is the foolish route -- as any lottery commission will tell you. All say to get your financial planning ducks in a row before claiming. So in case of theft, which would likely be accidental theft if you've kept quiet, or in case of natural disaster, you will have something to go on in trying to establish your claim.
Yes, possession is 9/10ths of the law. But there is that other 1/10th. And a picture is worth a thousand words. OK, maybe only worth 100 lawyer words, but still...
I can't find the post I was going to respond to, but from a buddy at the state lottery over here, 90% of all possible combinations have been sold with an estimated 95% by the time of the drawing. So there's a 5% chance this baby rolls over.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
......speechless.....
You have to think, though, about all the other winners who had only 10 or less of the 175,223,510 numbers for MM or 195,249,054 for PB.
On the note of celebs winning, I think Floyd Mayweather would have the best bet of winning... it's well known how much of a gambler he is.
Welcome to the LP RiseToGrace......
Just observed on Fox news that that over 200 million MM tickets have been sold just in CA and NY. They mentioned that about 650 million had been sold at this point and expect sales to peak much higher this evening.
Judge opens a sealed envelope with your name and an official government stamp over the sealed portion. Date and timed, further proof that it is not something that you just pulled out of your <snip>.
Both that and yours would hold up in court, including the notarized copy that max mentioned.
I simply offered one example of something that would work, not interested in comparing "shoe" size. :P
mine always have gone out 2/10 net 30... but now it has gotten rather pathetically funny. :)
The people over at the Powerball offices must want to blow their brains out this week. lol
Thanks! Does this up my chances of winning by at least 50%? Haha. I got $5 on this drawing tonight. People are going crazy spending hundreds or even thousands worth of tickets though. No matter how many you buy, your odds are still riduclous. So that's why I keep a tight budget with a lot of will power
not surprised you can't find a post, i like to read em all on every thread in news and diss.
but w/ lottery fever at well over 101 degrees there coming in at such a fast clip i can't keep up w/ it.
OOoooOO but I LOVE shoes Kumo! High-heeled strappy ones! I just can't wear them as long as I could back in the days of my youth. :) (size 8 to 8.5 depending on the shoe/designer)
Hehe, something tells me they will be playing MM tonight.
Did not mean to challenge your suggestion at all. Sorry if it came across that way. I'd actually read that suggestion someplace else as well. I just wasn't really sure what it gets you. I guess the proof that you had this copy within hours of the draw, versus making it up in a scam attempt later.
Truce!
Ohh here's a little tip of optimism I have every time I throw down a few dollars on these odds. Those numbers on your ticket are in that Mega Millions container no matter what...$640 million on 6 balls that are in that little container. I guess it sounds a little better than 1:176 million odds. That may sound stupid and obvious but think about it and it makes you feel a little better haha.
At least $346,500,000 in the bank here in Pennsylvania when collect this one!
Woo Hoo!
Time to work on the numbers.
I suspect all lottery site with mega million game will be down due to high traffic.
I haven't purchase any since they raise the bet. Good ridden!
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/y-big-story-mega-millions-long-odds-unreasoning-170021558.html
Lawyers available lol. They even say to sign the ticket, and then talk about climing it through a trust. You would think they would know since it is their job.
Do You think they will raise it again before the draw tonight???
I would never trust a bank safe or deposit box for the largest winning jackpot ticket in history. Nor do I see why a plastic bag is necessary for a ticket in a safe. Most of this is just excessive paranoia. The ticket would not leave my sight, and I have no family living with me so no one would know anyway. I would not be able to sleep as it was let alone knowing my ticket is in a bank somewhere where others have copies of the keys. It is easy to tell others do this but would you actually do it? I wouldn't. My goal is to get that cash rolling in as soon as possible I already waited too long for it. Then gradually build my empire slowly and invisibly.
LOL!!!
Ok, my feet grew 2 sizes in my early 30's. Up to size 14 to 15 now, makes finding new ones in the style or color I want a real pita.
Yap. It's probably time to make peace with your enemies... in case they win.
With all this money talk , I'm ready to Win The Mega Millions ........
I'm taking this one tonight!
The question is, if something happens to the ticket at the bank, wouldn't the bank be held liable? I don't know if it's covered by insurance or if you could only recover a portion of it, but I would feel safer with it in the bank.
I think of the ticket like cash, and I'm not keeping 640 million in my apartment.
Does it matter if they are "liable"? They aren't going to pay you 640 million, so it's irrelevant. Just like if you decide to take the annuitized prize and MM goes bankrupt some day, do you think they are going to pay you the rest of your money?
I have one set of numbers that a neighbor's child drew for me out of the "Bingo" balls. Does that count? She had a blast.
Spent $5 instead of $2 this time. Good luck to everyone.
The most a bank will owe you if something happens to an item in a safe deposit box is the rental fee. Of course the chances of something happening to items in a safe depoit box, especially in a relatively short peroid of time, are very small. It's much safer than any place you have in your house.
I wouldn't call it excessive paranoia, but more or less good planning. It's healthy to be a little cautious, keeps you out of trouble. Seems paranoia is them nuts that ran and hid in caves from "the end of the world" last May.
Keeping it on you seems like a good idea. I've known a few soldiers that managed to keep a pack of cigarettes on them during training and keep it hidden from Drill Sergeant detection. Sometimes you just need one, lol. Stories of the excessive amount of adult mags, candy wrappers, empty beer cans and dirty socks coming down out of the celing tiles in the barracks at the end of each training cycle are often shared and laughed about throughout a military career.
Personally, I probably would do either the safe deposit box or fire safe methods if I win over a million dollars at some time in the near or distant future. Not saying it would be best for everyone but, I would not be in a rush to claim it. I'd reckon dreaming about what to do does not fully prepare you for when your set of numbers finally hits. I'd have to think about it again and let my excitement level wane before making the moves to claim, just the way I am.
No place is safer than my house, any type of travel puts the ticket at risk. In my house once I put it away and if I stay there the risk is a lot smaller. Odds are against anything happening to it either way, but I will take my chances with it hidden in my house.
Yea, but you won't be annonomous anymore, if that is your intention.
i am willing to bet that no one hits powerball.they will try to beat this record that mm has set. what other way can they justify the 1 buc increase.hopefully it doesnt roll because many may not be able to afford the number of tickets they purchased for this draw,so i know it would be hard to put down more for tuesday.i beleive that it will hit though because of the amount of tickets that were purchased a news report stated that all numbers combos may have been played. good luck guys and gals. i hope tomorrow morning i will find that i hold one of the winning tickets.the reason that i say one is that this is well enough money to be split.i did decide to try something different. i have 5 sets of numbers that i play on pb(5 years or more),so i decided to try them on this mm draw.keepin the fingers and toes crossed though.
I love the "crossover" strategy!
I feel the same way. Having a 3-year old makes you a little more cautious than most. I have had paperwork get smudged in the past which is why I would choose to place the ticket in a ziplock bag prior to placing it in a safe. I prefer this method for all my important documents. The winning ticket holder may get overly excited and the last thing they want is a unreadable ticket.
Nothing against banks but if you have a fire safe in your home it's probably just as secure.
Would suck to live in hawaii, no mega there lol... spent about what I usually do in 4 months on this run. Not worried bout it though, probably going to be a long long time before we see something even close to this one again
So im hearing 90-95% of ticket combinations been sold. if thts tha case, this thing is not finna roll over. But where do u even find that info.
I am surprised that TLC is not cashing in and running "The Lottery Changed My Life" marathons.
Could'nt they play online, say thru Illinois?
They can always purchase tickets online now.
CL09 - it would be great to have this mania over on the one hand, but it would also be very wonderful to have a 1B$ j/p on Tuesday, so that, if nothing else, PB would have a REALLY hard time beating it! (and justifying their 2$tx price)
I have no idea where you would find this info. Hopefully someone 'in the know' will post to let us BOTH in on the info!
Good Luck everyone!
I o wish they were. I love tht show.
1 jackpot winner Michigan.......Go mega!
Make sure that the establishment where you buy you tickets from has video cameras recording all the time. If your winning ticket is lost or stolen, this provides proof that you did indeed buy the winning ticket.
Always make the clerk in the store give you the recipt printout with the serial numbers on it that comes with each batch of tickets you buy. They will never give it to you unless you ask for it. Just make sure you ask for it. If the clerk is a dumbass and doesn't know how to print out the recipt then don't by that ticket. Make them eat it. This is another piece of paper that provides proof that the ticket is indeed yours.
Print out many copies of both your winning ticket and the recipt and hide them in many different places. just more proof that the ticket is indeed yours.
Hide the original ticket and recipt in different places.
After you have done the above, take a copy of the winning ticket with you when you go to see your attorney.
Are you sure? Lol. It may start at 6pm!
Just checked and they aren't running it again until April 2nd.
It would increase sales even more.
No one can play online unless you live in Illinois.
Uu sure??? Thts odd tht Illinois will only allow residents to purchase tickets online...
Where would they do that at?
Is that a sign its gonna rollover???
MM homepage now has 550M/359M - cash... think its cuz they are getting ready to change it upwards from 640 and it 'fell' into an old iteration?
i'll say it again,
i think they are having a hard time finding winners who are willing to be on the show.
"If the clerk is a dumbass and doesn't know how to print out the recipt then don't by that ticket. Make them eat it."
I just saw a healine appear in my head, "Store clerk wins largest jackpot in history with rejected ticket!" "New on the job she did not know how to print a receipt, and had to buy a rejected ticket and is now the winner of the largest jackpot in history!"
Still says 640......?
I wonder if anyone laminated and swallowed copy just in case?
A friend of mine bought two MM lines with the megaplier for the first time and she showed me where her ticket said $4.00 but it also said "no" on the ticket for the megaplier!! What gives???? She was charged $4.00. Is this some computer glitch?
Well it is not on yet nor scheduled. I doubt they will change the scheduled boring programming.
I don't disagree with that but I would have thought that they would leverage this unique opporunity to run a marathon of old episodes.
It may inspire a gullable sucker or two to go on the show when Lady Luck visits them.
ooOOoo sounds like the computers are reaching maximum capacity. She will obviously have a very good argument should she win anything.
That is what I meant the reruns.
Phones battery is about to die lol too much lottery post surfin on it. Good luck to everyone here that played tonight, hope its a LP member that wins it. Good Luck!!!!!!!
The way I look at it is that because I rejected the ticket without the recipt that the dumbass tried to sell me, I went down the road and one of the quick picks I bought is the winning ticket. You are making a big s-t-r-e-a-c-h trying to be mister comedian there buddy.
I expect to win it tonight!! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE @ LP FAMILY--LET'S WIN BIG
Cool beans. :) We've got a little one due this August and a 10-year old that is starting to get adventurous , I can totally agree.
One thing is for certain, if I win or don't win, I won't be buying the eldest one a car when they turn 16. They'll have to get out and get a part-time job and continue to do good in school, before I'll allow them to put a down payment on a dependable used car.
Thanks maximum. That was what I thought and told her also.
Now that would definitely be paranoia, lol!
They'd definitely guarantee some surgeon another paycheck.
Yeah about as much as your are fabricating the story in your favor. But anything is possible. I never get receipts and I have won some great amounts over the years. My ticket is my receipt as are all my copies. Getting receipts every time for me is a waste of time and more trash.
So I don't know if I'll win tonight, but I have decided to play my own numbers... so at least there's that to take away from this drawing. Maybe I'll win with those at some point.
Well I live alone by choice so in my case I do not have any excessive paranoia. Which was a lot worse when I did live with somone, so I am good.
can't argue w/ that, maybe they'll take a lesson from this,
Well there are two other ways to get it out but you could not do it at by choice after awhile.
Even if there was a $640 million jackpot every month, the proceeds wouldn't even make a dent in the deficit.
Absolutely no doubt! Why would someone whose life has finally settled want to re-open the floodgates for the onslaught of people who feel they are entitled to his/her winnings.
Good job Todd, I salute you on your hard work!..... that's why I go to USA Mega whenever I want to know about the jackpots........
OMG $640 million.
I think there will always be a few who want to brag and show off (for some, I think it is well intentioned). If a person came from lesser means and maybe never had fair chances or opportunities to say "look at my accomplishment", it might be tempting. This MM drawing will certainly create a large amount of 2nd place winners also.
Attention and fame, many still want it. Some want even more money after a jackpot win, greed. But I was referring to reruns.
Also because most of them are actually almost broke by that time from family and friends, so they want to get their last 15 min of fame in and a few exta bucks.
A few bucks and not his last 15 minutes of fame is most likely what the drug addict living in a storage unit with his wife wanted. Saw the episode on TLC and I wouldn't be surprised if he was deceased by now.
In case you win mega millions ;
#1.) Call Loonasee 2and offer him some....or half if you think that is best.
Okay...kidding....
#1.) Sign the back of the ticket.That's the first thing you do.That way it's yours, guaranteed. Then make a photocopy, take a photo of yourself with it, and lock it in a safe.
#2.)Call a lawyerBEFORE you tell your relatives, you need to get a lawyer involved.
#3.)Think realistically about how much you won. After you take the lump sum and pay the taxes, you'll wind up with about half the jackpot.And if anyone else also had the winning numbers, you're splitting it with them too.
#4.)Shield your identity.Some states will make you pick up the jackpot in person. Others will let you form a trust.If you can, have your lawyer form a trust and stay anonymous.
#5.)Plan one good splurge.Now that you've taken care of all the boring logistics, think about one or two amazing things you're going to buy.It Get it out of your system. Wait until you have the money in the bank before you buy it tho.
#6.)Lock the money into investments.every family member and friend will expect money from you. The more you lock into investments, the less guilty you have to feel about saying "No"
Lottery officials only work 8 hour days. Its the Lottery vendors who are running crazy to keep up with the calls and deliveries.
I have heard the same thing. they already know which numbers are played and where. but i'm not trying to start a flame war.this is just my opinion(how do you explain the jp
getting this high)
Hmm... I am reading online all the different lottery stories. You know what I would find amusing? To have one of the many 'free tickets' that have been given out (ft. wayne indiana comes to mind) be a winner (not the SOLE winner... but a winner) for the jackpot.
I don't see 1 ticket winning. We could see who is a Brad Duke and who the Jack Whitaker's are. Instead of a pic holding why not one with it and your drivers license The number rule , from what i've read, is STAY ANONYMOUS so I would think twice about signing it. Its gonna be raised officially after drawing like the last big PB drawing.
if 95% of combinations are already sold, i dont think i should spend too much on tickets then
Don't call just any attorney. Shop around and get one that does financial planning for high income clients. Just because your cousin went to law school and temps somewhere or is looking for a job, does not make him/her qualified to handle your matter.
A 5% chance of a roll over? My mind would explode... Mega Billions...
I concur. A good reputable lawyer (???) should tell you that they are not able to do you justice (pardon the word play) and then direct you to whomever is the best in your area.
Even if it were rolled into a tube and placed into a small container, say the diameter of an ink pen, it likely would not make it out of the stomach and definitely not past the duodenum. Vomiting would not work, even if someone could try to administer the patient a solution of activated charcoal (last I heard, Doc's stopped using ipecac) they would run risk of the foreign body damaging the patient's upper gastrointestinal tract. Best solution would be surgical removal of the foreign body under general anesthesia.
exactly . I meant to include that.
sure it is exciting to imagine one person (yourself) winning all this, but the excitement diminishes when you realize there will probably be 3 to 4 winners. after you split the pot it just ends up being another ordinary jackpot that we seen many times.
just the same,i'd be happy w/ a fraction.
I just heard on the nightly news (they said it was based on their research) that 9 of 10 lottery winners burn through all of their money in 5 years???? OMG.
What is doing the 1/10?
sensationalism,
If they said 5 of 10 i would find it more credible,
i can't beleive we have that many idiots.
Just watched the nightly news and they had Suze Orman on there, talking about what you should do. One thing she stated was to imagine you have won and make your plans on how you would handle it.....She also said that money might not make you happy but being broke, surely wont.......I think most of us here on L.P talk about what we would do if we won every day....SO, WE ARE READY....well....I am...... they also mentioned that 14,000,000 tickets are being sold every hour for this jackpot.....wow,,,,,,,,,,Good luck to all
Doesn't your #1 conflict with your #4? If you sign the ticket, your name WILL be out there as I'm pretty sure you can't claim via trust if your ticket is signed with your name.
Also #6... I'll be splitting it up with family to begin with so they'll have their money that's all theirs and have to decide how to protect/spend it and I'll have mine. If they lose it oh well... sorry.
Agreed!
oh I can believe that there are that many idiots out there. check out your own family... how many of them do you think would NOT be broke w/in 5 or so years? then look at the odds for the rest of the country. i doubt that many of the 'lower' intellect would be here on LP... so if we are part of the 'not lower' section... and OUR odds are bad within our own families...
yes 5 years for a NORMAL jackpot... but for this one? 11?
The news is always negative, and they know that all the losers will want to hear that.
The problem I have with those numbers is - from watching the shows - they report any decent sized lottery win as being a "lottery winner". So if you won $10,000 or $250,000 or $1,000,000 or $250,000,000 you're treated the same way. And if you think about how many more lower amount winners there are it's not too surprising that they've spent it. Also there are flaws in their research, such as the inability to know how those unnamed (those claiming in a trust or some such thing) winners are doing.
Yea, it may still be a high number of JACKPOT lottery winners that burn through their money, but I doubt it's 90% of them.
I looked at a news story about drawing. It's expected to make $1.4 billion in sales.
I think it's all about mind games... making people buy more so they have a better chance to win, thus proving to people that they could handle and keep their winnings for 5+ years.
Even just putting 50-75 million away and never touching the principal( after blowing the rest of it ) would still keep you in the $1-3 million + a year in interest alone... If you went through that kind of money than you deserve lose it !!
ttech10, i think you're spot on.
"you know the bubble head bleach blond comes on at 5,
she can tell bout the plane crash w/ a gleem in her eye,
ya know the boys in the news room got a runnin bet,
get the widow on the set,
we need dirty laundry"
Keep telling you, the solution to all your problems is a 1993 Plymouth Voyager in money green with 180,000 miles on it and one hubcap missing.
No one will ever bother you if you drive that around town.
Loved that Don Henley song! Rings even more true today. It's all about "ratings" and "dirty laundry" gets the job done quite nicely!
I just purchased some tickets at a mom and pop and the clerk said "It ain't gonna do you any good 'cause I have the winning ticket already". Thinking she was kidding I said "I'm sure there will be more than one winner and I don't mind sharing". The clerk went off the handle and yelled "I ain't gonna share with anybody, it's all mine"... with a few expletives thrown in, then turned around and walked off. Kind of freaked me out!
i'll just keep drivin my new truck, a 96 chevy,i've had since new, i call it my new truck cause my other truck is a a 80 elcamino.
Whoa... ok then. obviously the manager/owner was not around.
I'm not so sure that it wasn't the owner!
One of the casualties of lotto mania!
ok... so **if** its going to roll again... when do y'all suppose it would need to do so in order to escalate the feeding frenzy?
yea, if memory serves, it came out right around the time that news programs became very competitive,
followed by an explosion of cable/satellite channels and 24 hrs. news cycle.
Do you really mean "roll again?" Or do you mean have an increase in the jackpot?
Just me thinking out loud ; couldn't 99% of the combinations be played and still not have a winner because of the mega-ball. By the way I would rather be one of those who spent all of the winning in lest tthan 5 years than to continue to be a weekly playing loser. I 'm just saying.
oops... have an increase in the jackpot
yeah but since the odds are 1 in 175M... i would guess there will more than likely be 1 winner for every 200M tickets sold. so they're claiming there have been about 600 million sold so far
Yeah it was late "80", just when the cable giant Ted Turner was emerging. Everyone scrambling for better ratings.
Off that topic somewhat, was the Henley hit song "Boys Of Summer", in "84" another great song and video that was real classy.
Well I'm just glad I'm in it to win it also. Good Luck Everyone
yea, i think i would have freaked out too when relizeing they where serious,
after the clerk don't win, go back for your next set of tix. and say,
"ohh.....still working here, or did you buy the place ?" LOL
I personally don't think there will be another increase in the jackpot estimate before cut-off time for sales tonight. And if there is, I doubt that it would increase the feeding frenzy which I feel is already at a peak.
If, by a slim chance, the combination of numbers drawn tonight does not match any plays made, though, things will go totally wild for next Tuesday's drawing right from the start. My guess is that there will be three winners tonight.
Agreed. To late in the day for an increase to make any difference in MM sales.
How much more of this mania can we stand if it rolls? I still think maybe up to 10 JP winners and 80-100 2nd place at least.
Hell I dont mind sharing I just wanna win something out of it .
The first store I was at had to wait 15mins then another 10mins for the second store. The lines were long. People are throwing part of their savings at it, crazy stuff! I hope someone would win this already so people can calm down. lol
Oh no she didn't!!!!! I would of had a few choice words for her....
It needs to roll and I can claim the winning PB ticket on Tuesday. Going that route would really be under the radar... what is more interesting... a $60m jackpot being claimed or the drawing for a near billion dollar jackpot? I don't even think I'd bother claiming through a trust.
not to late on the west coast,ppl. just gettin ready to leave work,
just los angeles itself = millions.
I'm thinking 4 people are going to win it all, 80-100 second place prizes sounds about right.
If by some outlandish event it rolls again, I expect this JP to get to a billion. All hell will break loose.
We can "stand" a lot Artist, we are LP lotto pro's. When the going gets "tough", the LP "tough" members get going!
Hell if you win buy the store and fire her Azzzzzz
LOL haymaker. That would be a mean but deserved thing to do. If you do throw it back at her, can you let us know her reaction? Her face is gonna be priceless.
Just left my local Publix grocery store. The lottery counter looked like The Hunger Games. People frothing at the mouth, impatient, elbowing into line, etc.
Uh oh, I just spent $1 a few minutes ago.
1 ticket ....... 1 winner!
Over $350,000,000 in my bank account!
Woo Hoo!
No lines & soon no worries (money)!
you need to back farther back in the thread, that was my suggestion to LotteryLeroy.
Do you really want to win this one DP?
12 36 48 51 53 07
is all I to have say
about 10'000 of that ticket just sold,hope ya like sharin.
yes.... no problem
Tonight winning # is 01-02-03-04-05 MB 01
Then it rolls over.
now THAT would be a wonderful draw (if it can't be my numbers that is)
lol, dying reading this, well put
News Travel Fast anywhere in the world
That's pretty good , my family member thousand of miles out in the ocean
and he said , did you get your lottery tickets yet . He even knows about it.
I said , Yes I have my numbers , and I'm ready to win the Mega Millions .
If that's it, then Stephen Colbert will win 2nd prize. He (likely his staff for him) bought 01-02-03-04-05--06.
OK, about 10,000 of that combo just sold,
"share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie"
MC inn I went against my principles and purchased 60 tickets.hopefully tomorrow morning it would have been worth it.
$640 million jackpot!.Wow!.It's insane!.Let it roll again!. WOW!.
wow this is a very speedy lottery printer you are working with.
i can't even keep speed w/ this thread,let alone look at the others, what i ment was w/ this kind of fever,
all you have to do is make a set of nos. and someones gonna play em
MM fever has turned into postin fever. LOL
There will be at least one winner tonight. All of the combinations have been played !! This according to variety store where my son works !!
I'm waiting for someone to post that it's up to 700 mil...
Don't forget, that money in the bank isn't all yours. You still owe another 10% in Federal Income Tax.
Net of 35% Federal Income Tax will leave you a nice, round $300 million, on the current $640 million. Of course, I assume you are already planning on a little overage from the estimate if you are talking OVER $350 million instead of the posted amount of $346.5 million.
Won't happen 2-nite. If it rolls then ...watch out.
I needed number 51 ,,,,,,the other day , if I had it , I would of won the Mega Millions .
I need to get back to the store and pay one more set of numbers.............
I never spend alot of $$$$$ , but this week , I have , been playing powerball and mega
since they started years ago .
do u think numbers will be all odd,even,a mix or high numbers?
They will probably officially raise it after drawing. Might be too close to drawing to change websites.
it seems to frustrate people most when the white balls are birthday numbers... so I will vote for birthday numbers and then a repeat in the megaball... that should toast just about everyone's cookies.
of course, that will mean it wont be MY numbers... but...
If I knew that, I'd be 2-nites winner.
It's been said all combinations been played on the news , and internet .
I am ready to win the Mega Millions !!!!!!!!!!!!
And if there isn't a winner 2-nite? Was the news and internet fibbing?
how could they know that? ponder that question.
**insert shocked gasp here** the news and the internet ... FIBBING???
If there's no winner, then it's rigged no? lol
How was there not a winner on Tuesday? That means all of the combinations weren't sold? Surprising since the JP was well over 300 mil.
a 100 tb computer would help.
save your dough I already have enough 640 million is enough my wife want to get the cash payout but I am leaning to annuity...... and I'll mention Todd and USAMEGA at the podium next week....
LOve you all thanks
save your dough I already have enough 640 million is enough my wife want to get the cash payout but I am leaning to annuity...... and I'll mention Todd and USAMEGA at the podium next week....
LOve you all thanks
I will split my amount 2 ways . Among other things .........
If that is true and they know that all possible combinations have been played doesn't that give credibility to the theory that the lottery can be rigged? If it it possible to know what has and has not been played then what is to stop you from making sure the right balls do or do not come out?
I mean to me they should not be able to know this if it is a truly random game.
THANK YOU VENOM.SOMEONE WHO ISNT SO NIAVE TO BELEIVE THEY DONT KNOW WHAT WHEN AND WHERE THE NUMBERS THAT ARE PLAYED.
Like I said, bad jobs and a bad economy does that to you. Like they would ever spend it all anyway, or have any clue how to spend it.
If I won I would go back and tell them I ain't sharing $%&*.
Hmmm...but how do you get a "live" recording of the balls, to perform at your beckoning to come out in a certain sequence? If this has or
is being done now, then the lottery in all states are in jeopardy of losing everything in criminal prosecution. Would they really be so foolish
to "bite" the hand that feeds it?
BTW, if that guy is really going to pay 10k in tickets, he should play every mega ball number around 217 times. That would give him 217 out of 4 million chances of winning the jackpot, and 10,000 out of 4 million of winning the 2nd place prize, as opposed to 10,000 out of 176 million of winning the jackpot.
There was another post on another thread yesterday or the day before supposedly explaining that from another site where someone who worked for a lottery said that they used a hypodermic needle and injected some of the balls with gas to make them react differently to the others. With this kind of money on the line, I am sure there are many different ways to cheat. Bernie Madoff managed $60 billion and never made a single trade over decades, so frankly anything is possible.
Anything is possible, agreed. Probable...no. Just my opinion.
I think I will go back after my win... and just smile!
Just a little more than 2 hours to go. I think I will do a repeat of last night, and just go to have wonderful dreams, and check the numbers
tomorrow morning. I don't want any disillusioned thoughts filling my head.
thats a class act dude, my suggestion was for if neither of you won.
That's what I'm planning on doing. I want to have sweet dreams!
Besides, I'll need the rest to start interviewing accountants, advisors, and lawyers in the morning. :-D
Let's throw the galaxy's largest IF in here and say... IF that was what they did it still wouldn't ensure that the 5+1 balls would be picked, there would be a large margin of error, what with the way the balls are simply blown around and the complete chaos of the whole thing.
I'd believe in Derren Brown before I'd believe the lottery comissions can simply force the specific 5+1 (or whatever) balls into the receiver whenever they want. The whole thing just seems too unlikely for me to believe.
My thoughts precisely dk, you read my mind!
I had to log in to say OMG!!!! I hope it rolls to 700+
According to Yahoo, we have all spent $1.5 billion to play this particular drawing, they pay out $462 million, that's a pretty nice billion dollar spread. People have done more for less.
If it ROLLS toinight it will be $800,000,000.00 easy....if they up the jackpot before the drawing tonight you might be right!!
Won't happen guys. Sorry to disappoint. Would be counterproductive to MM plans this late in the hour.
It is a shame that the chat room is not available on tonight! What a conversation that would be....
The oldest gorilla in any zoo has picked her Megamillions numbers:
9,12,21,31,41
megaball 9
Ppl, dnt count on it rolling. This ends TONIGHT!!!! Over 90% combinations bought. THIS WILL BE WON TONIGHT!!!!! Plus, why are you playing with hopes it rolls, tht means u hope to not win....crazy. Anywho, whoever is out there, sum1 has the winning ticket, Heck, several ppl might have it. Good luck to all. I broke my rule of 10 and bought 20. 1 is a multiplier, so I'm 21 bucks in. I knw I knw, lottery fever has beseeched me and I've succumb...hopefully pays off...TONIGHT!!!!!
I've been struck by lightning twice.........Where's my jackpot!?!??
i was at the store an this guy was saying out loud the numbers he wanted for tonight, and after he was done, i said give me the same numbers as him and he gave me a dirty look and i said i was joking.
Maybe you should have played his numbers? To late now.
That will buy a lot of bananas-when those numbers come up.
ALL of the websites I frequent including a recipe site and a car site are talking about the jackpot and how many tickets they have bought. To win tonight would be the ultimate "I got struck by lightning while being eaten by a shark moment."
TUNE IN TO 20/20 TONIGHT. STORY ABOUT LOTTERY FRENZY. U DON'T WANNA MISS IT IF U GOT THE FEVER
I went overboard today...I sold my house to a wealthy individual who gave me 3 months to move out and cash, set aside the money I will need to pay off my mortgage company and the movers, and threw the rest on tickets in tonight's drawing.
Psych!
But I would do that if someone had offered something like that to me!
So UHHHM....everyone here, please tune in....LOL!!!
Yes, all forums are talking about it. I frequent many and they are all talking about it. Maybe it was my fault for bringing it up...
I don't watch TV so hope it goes on youtube.
Thanks for the reminder.
I was sitting here thinking about that athlete who has to review 10 thousand combinations before he discovers he didn't win the jackpot tonight. What a bummer!
Odds of being struck by lightning, 1: 280,000
Odds of being bitten by shark, 1: 3,000,000
Lol. He'll probably pay sum1 to scan them...and no problem. The show comes on in 15. Get ready. Right now I'm watching punked. But I'm enjoying sharing the lottery dream with all of u...it's exciting.
No I wouldn't say I have lotto fever since all those who wake up tomorrow with busted dreams and worthless pieces of paper are going to need to go see a doctor if they indeed have lotto fever.
Of course, I hope to win tonight, but I didn't break the bank in my attempt to do so. I am not going to watch the drawing unless the numbers are broadcast to me telepathically, I won't know if I won until I check tomorrow morning.
Good luck me. Good luck to my immediate family that played some numbers. Good luck to my current clients...be sure to call me when you are ready to plan your future. Good luck to anyone living in Illinois and Wisconsin. To all the rest, thank you for contributing to my retir.....er, I mean, live life to the fullest fund. Oh don't be offended if you read this...I am just practicing what I will say during the press conference. Imagine this...the lottery upstaging the NCAA March Madness tournament.
Odds of both happening at THE EXACT SAME TIME: Priceless.
Wait, wrong saying...
If that's the argument then it could also be argued that they would have done it before now. Though, the likelihood of them being able to do so is very, very slim.
But I'm not discussing whether they would, but rather if they even could... which myself and others highly doubt they could. That "information" you got was from a site (I'm assuming as it's the only one mentioning the info you stated) says they use radon in the balls instead of helium, because radon is less noticeable (radon is 9x more dense than air and helium 6x less dense... thus would be less noticeable). But now that I used science to debunk the theory let me also add this... the "information" you got, and I only found one source mentioning filling the balls with hypodermic needles, is from a satire site... fake news.
http://www.uncoveror.com/lottery.htm
I searched different terms you used to find the thread you mentioned so I could find the commenter and hopefully their source, but didn't find anything, so if you do come across it let me know so I can see. Thanks.
Me to, I don't have TV, Internet, phone, newspaper or radio.
HRH Todd would have been the personality to interview tonight or serve as an expert consultant into lottery fever. Be honest, Who knows more or has greater insight than victims of the fray?
No internet?? How are you here? Is the library still open>>>>LOL!!!
So who else is going to avoid the forums and news once the draw is done? I would like to get to bed not knowing what happened with it but not sure if I can sleep.
I knew if I continued to do the math, I would have arrived at the combined odds. But close enough! "Priceless"
I'm going to load my pipe up with some very strong Kush, play Gotham city imposters till around 3 a.m. Check the numbers, if I won, I'm skipping town, of I lose, load up tha pIpe and throw my 2 bucks to powerball tomorrow. Anywho. Good luck to all. Tonight history will b made. Multiple ppl will b made millionaires.
20/20 just boost this to tremendous heights. Wow. 13 million tickets sold an hour today. WOW
Sleeping pills, Quaalude's. I'll just check my state lottery website.
first up is the woman who gave away /lost a winning ticket
video looks like she gave away tickets
I still need to get Arkham City, haven't really touched any gaming system in a while though (except for Netflix). Maybe I'll finally find something good on there to watch and keep me occupied.
Netflix selection is horrible, but if your a gamer, you should really check out Gotham city imposters. It's a very fun entertaining game....but back to megamillions!!!!!! Lol
watching 20/20 .....
I'll probably go to bed without checking, even though I'm on the west coast and could easily get the news first. But I keep having this strange thought of just how I'd behave tomorrow if by that slim chance I did happen to win. How could I possibly keep my mouth shut or avoid displaying my excitement when I'm having luncheon guests including one of the relatives to whom I'd give over a million dollars if I won a fourth of this jackpot or more? LOL! I think I'll wait to see if there is a winner from my state and if so, wait until after my guests leave to check tickets.
I happen to be one of those who believe it is best to talk to an attorney and discuss different possibilites within an LLC or trust before letting my relatives know anything.
I just know I couldn't sleep if I won and I'd rather sleep and not know than know and not sleep. Plus I know I'll end up staying up and waiting until the site updates about how many winners and then I'll stay up longer on the main Lottery Discussion board. Just better to leave it up until tomorrow.
And I just know I better not hear hootin' & hollerin' going on outside of joyous neighbors, as it seems every one of them is playing.
id sleep great knowing i won, but knowing i lost will make me sleep poorly, thats why ill check tomorrow.
I haven't even looked at my tickets and do not plan to do so anytime soon. I will go to bed and if perhaps one of the winning tickets is from a state I purchased MM in pops up then I may just check them at that point.
I just don't think the USAMEGA jackpot alert will hit my inbox tomorrow to say it rolled.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! Hope someone here hits it!
If I am being eaten by a shark nd I am struck by lightning....does the shark die too?
I'm hoping that whoever wins (yes, even if it's not myself) is a sole winner. I don't wanna share, and I know it would suck to hit a JP this large and find out you have to share it with three other people.
I mean, yeah, it's still a whoooooole lot of money, but... I wanna be "rolling around in my piles of money" rich. :)
If you found out you won, you will not be sleeping anytime soon. Go get a good nights sleep and check tomorrow
So we have 30 minutes until the draw and then another 2 hours 30 minutes after that before we see the aftermath of the draw.
Well... for those of you who will be checking.
Relax man,this is over hyped to the max.
considering your previous posts'
i think ya got the numbers down,
They said on radio IF it rolls it will b 1,000,000,000.00
yes, thats how i do it,right now thinking if i should call out from work tommorow.
46 23 38 4 2 and 23
I WON I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!........ Actually I didn't. I think its rigged. WHY THE <snip> DIDN'T THEY SHOW THE DRAWING. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!
WSBTV has confirmed Tuesday will start at 975 million if there is no winnerI dont believe that will happen. there is going to be more than one winner.I didnt win a darn thing.
Winning Numbers: 2 4 23 38 46 MB 23
No winner here, but that was fun and a real hoot to see how folks got excited about this one. Hopefully we can do it again in a few months. G'night folks. :)
Just the 46.....next time......
Mega Ball repeat and two non-birthday numbers. Probably a QP winner.
How about one more roll?
WSOC-TV says several sources had said no winner and now they are walking it back. They are trying to track down the origin of the source.
I think it comes from the TV station on twitter I quoted who said IF there was no winnerthe JP would be 975 million. I had to read it twice because I thought at first they said there was no winner.
Wish it would roll, but sum 1 had to have won, besides, has anyone seen the drawing. Did it aire
I had numbers 38 and 46. Not enough.
I had number 2, 4 ,,,,,,. I didn't invest as much as , I did the last .
I was ready to win ..........know I'm curious , how many people won .
One interesting game ...........know everyone should go and play powerball for tomorrow night ...spend a $2.00
It took me almost a half hour to get back on this site!! lol
The MegaUSA site wouldn't let me in but it's back on now.
lottery officials considering moving drawing to Times Square if there was no winner tonight.
Hmmm.....but I can't believe there won't be a winner
had 1# in each row of my 6 tickets
Snippity snip snip... lol.. i didn't win.. One of my buddies on fb said she saw numbers on tv... lets go for the roll!!!
here is something weird. A poster on twitter said there were different numbers posted on megamillions website and then it changed. Then there are reports that the numbers posted in the news were wrong. What a hoopla of misinformation out there.
A spokesperson for CA said no winner in that state.
....dont know if this a rumor....but i heard suffolk county police dept. had pooled a game and won the JP ??!! ??......any one hear anything as yet ??
I meant to play #4 but just didn't have the mental energy this week to put together any better lines.
I, too, am curious about who DID win, how many winners, where, and stats on the 2nd place winners.
http://m.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoosierlottery.com%2Fwinning-numbers%2Fsearch-payouts%3Fgamename%3DMega%2BMillions&h=2AQEDDy2p
dunno if im allowed to post that.. Dunno if its just Indiana or all but 0 jackpot winners
KCBS -KCAL said on twitter that WSB the official broadcaster said there is no winner. I think they are reading the info wrong. They are missing the very important word IF there is no winner
I saw a picture of a winning lotto ticket floating around on Twitter. It looks authentic but with the power of Photoshop these days you just never know. Ill wait for the offical report.
I believe about 2% of what I read on Twitter. Incredibly unreliable on 'breaking' news like this. Someone will post on Twitter after seeing it on USAMega site and claim they 'broke' the news.
It's up to 975 million. No one got the jackpot. Must've been that sneaky bonus number.
I didn't even participate in the past few drawings! God must be waitin' on me ^_^
KSN news in Wichita is reporting that Kansas Lottery says someone won.
Calling bull<snip> until I see it here through Todd or on USAMega.
It usually takes another 20 to 30 minutes before they announce a winner. How did you find out?-weshar75
I hope someone wins, I am ready for this to be over with. Too much of a distration on my life.
Darn it! I only missed it by 5 numbers.
got #'s 2 and 4 in one line and 4, 23 and 23 on another. just need 3 more
Lol!!!! hopefully u got the Mb n made some money back at least!!
Did anyone win?
I know of at least one person who didnt !!!!
I won $7, yay! lol
lol
The combination has 4 even and 1 odd. With a mega ball that is same as a white ball.
This could lead to no winners. We shall see.
Dontcha just love all the rumors?
"29 Mega Millions tickets sold in California had 5 out of 6 winning numbers according to state lotto officals" - CNN . No word on 6 out of 6 winners yet tho.
A lot of times when this happens no one wins, especially since the last draw had the same thing with the #20.
I played 27 as white and MB just to cover that pattern, no dice though.
However I thought there was a rumor that every combination was played at least once.
So did I, but I spent $9 so I'm $2 in the hole.
hit 3 out of 5 three times had all the numbers jus wrong lines. Didn't get the mb though
I will not sleep until I know if someone won.
Lol! Better than me, I spent $10 to get that $7.
I am usually 2 in the hole...just not dollars
Just want to know if it's going to be some crazy roll over.
According to a trusted source on Twitter (non lottery related but top notch news source)
Jackpot will be $975 million on Tuesday.
Four quick picks and one birthday. I got one number out of all.
Guess I'll do laundry as usual on Saturday and get work clothes ready for Monday! LOL
Yeah I have a feeling it will roll 1 more time...
I have heard that twice
A Billion dollar jackpot would be insane. I'm sure $975 million would be or should be rounded up to a Billion.
According to the MD lottery website, a winning ticket was sold in Baltimore County in addition to several nationwide.
21 bucks, no return....starting to think being a member of LP decreases ur chances...
Been watching this site for a few days, and this is my first post.. Spent $52 on MM +$8 on Mass Cash and all I got was the 4, 38 and the megaball (23)
Yay, i'm in the money. lol.... I guess i won't be quitting my day job anytime soon :p
Lol, yeah, I bought $10 and won $7 on Tuesday, joined this site Wednesday, bought $39 and won $0. :(
Yep, I just read on the MD site that the maryland winner was one of many...
The Winning Ticket was purchase in MD apparently . Congrats to whoever won it
Yup. I see it there, too. Boo!
ah it was fun while it lasted. Back to work.
Guysguysguys be reasonable please. Someone had to win this time, it was a wonderful long-awaited time but everything is good only to the limit.
"There are definitely a few winners from other states as well," said Erica Palmisano, a Maryland lottery spokeswoman.
The multi-state Mega Millions game is played in 44 states and jurisdictions, including Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Last night’s winning numbers were 2-4-23-38-46 and Mega Ball 23.
“This is truly remarkable and historic,” said Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino said in a statement. “We can’t wait to greet the winner of this world-record setting jackpot.”
Just being in my cyber-presence gives people outrageous runs of good luck.
Happens all the time.
mega won in maryland
Lol!!!!!
i just hope it was somebody from LP!!!!!!!!
Won Maryland... By 1 person. Proof?? It's not on the site
Thank goodness it's over. See you guys in a few weeks!
lol - I know I feel luckier just hanging here at LP with ya!
iam new wth ths got 3 niumber but not the mb do i get anything thanks
It's under "SNAPSHOTS LOTTERY NEWS." Washington Post is reporting it, too.
SEVERAL = ???
Yeah, now I can go back to lurking and focus on other things.
I'll be back when the Powerball rolls past $60-$70M...
google 640 MILLION MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT HIT IN MARYLAND
640 MILLION MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT HIT IN MARYLAND
Saturday, March 31st, 2012
Winning Ticket Sold in Baltimore County one of several nationwide
Maryland sold one of the winning tickets for last night’s record-breaking $640 million Mega Millions jackpot. The lucky ticket was purchased at a retailer in Baltimore County. Lottery officials are waiting for information on jackpot winners from other Mega Millions states. The multi-state Mega Millions game is played in 44 states and jurisdictions – including Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Last night’s winning numbers were 2-4-23-38-46 and Mega Ball 23.
“This is truly remarkable and historic,” said Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino. “We can’t wait to greet the winner of this world-record setting jackpot.”
Oh God, I am so delusional. A few hours ago I would have bet my life that I was the winner. I temporarily transformed from a resaonble, logical young man to the most superstitious freak on the face of the planet. Thank God this nonsense is finally over.....its taken my spending money for weeks and weeks.
7 bucks or 21 if you had the megaplier
Google is a wonderful tool.
I can't believe this. Here the waterworks are about to go off again.
I knew MD was due for a MM winner, and that winner should've been me. I can't <snip>ing believe this. SCREW LIFE. IM OUT.
Why is the MM site such a pos. Its usually the last to give out info. LOL The small states are kicking some a55.
It said "One of several nationwide" so this jackpot must have more than 1 winner. I guess we won't know where the others are until tomorrow.
Yo check it out...
I'm proud to report a member of LP has won done the impossible on Mega Millions......
That's Right... I didn't match even 1 number, not 1 on 25 tickets.
If this isn't my exact same story.......Whyyyyyyyyy not me????? I just recently started playing, followed this jackpot, told EVERYBODY about it, put well over 100$ into this draw session with 2$ payback. WHYYYYYYYYYYY. I even tried karma points. I didn't pray since the lottery Isbt an act of god. I thoroughly believe once u become an outspoken member of a lottery community u decrease ur chances of winning. U throw urself into the equal masses and believe the hype...IT COULD BE YOU, well u knw what, it wasn't. 21$ 15QP's and 5 Personals. Not a dollar back. I was fooled. I will continue on my path to write my book "unluckiest individual who just always seems to fall short" ha. I should just shred this one PB ticket. It's not a winner
not trying to stir up problems or anything but i have one question. How did Maryland knew so fast that they had a winner? do the musl call them up and say by our standards you have a hit in X region?
Go to bed folks nothing else to see tonite.
20 ticks, matched 2 on separate lines. I wanna scream RIGGED bcuz I didn't see the drawing.
then watch the drawing next time
Dude.. it was shown in Indiana..
u remind me of a Jeremy i know (from what I've gathered over the internet.. lol)
If a single ticket in MD hit the jackpot, I only hope it was a last minute ad hoc lottery pool of 300 workers...get ready for chaos!
watch the draw video here:
http://www.masslottery.com/games/lottery/drawings/mega-millions/index.html?video=
I love the fact that we actively participated in a record breaking lottery. We are all part of history. That is pretty amazing.
Bet part of it has something to do with all that moonshine you folks cook up over there.
Grats on the $7 ridge. :)
On a few website. It still said 640 millions. I wish it was a lottery pool that won it. Why did it happen to be just one tickets and one person win. Why can't it be few peoples. Who ever hit the Mega Millions is famous over night.
PowerBall has to be doing a happy-dance right about now!
Winner from Milford Mill, MD. According to the 2000 census... Median household income of $44,000. 8% of population lives below the poverty line. 80% African American, 17% Caucasian and 3% Other.
I have the 23 white ball and the 23 mega ball how much is it?
other ticket I got 2 white balls right and no mega ball
I agree that was kinda fun. I even heard some non-believers talk about the jackpot. Got to triple my $ so i can play poker and drink for free tomorrow.
lol! For real!
They're back at being the highest current jackpot, took 'em long enough.
I saw the drawing.
I don't wanna say anything was rigged but did anybody else notice that neutron induction targeted infusion ramafram-driven burford modulator pointed directly at the mega ball machine? I recognized it from my days at the Agency.
And then those three gunshots backstage and the guy yelling "They killed Kenny! You b*stards!"
That was a little unusual.
3$
Oh well, back to watching FNL for us...eh, Piaceri?
UGHHHHHHHHHHHH. I used to live up the street from there. Whyyyyyyy am I always in the wrong place at the wrong time?!? I even was craving hip hop chicken last night and thought about driving up there today s m f h. i need to listen to my stomach more often lol. Anyways Anyone who lives up in that area probably deserves the win and has been working to make ends meet. congrats, i guess.
LOLOL - I missed all that. HOW could I have missed it. It sure is a good thing that you are here to clear up all the confusion for me!
Winning ticket sold in Baltimore County, Md.? Identity not known yet, but Jimmy McNulty was seen buying shots starting around 11 p.m.
Moonshine, what's that?
I ain't seen nothin', I don't know nothin' and I ain't heard nothin'! Probably never will neither!
LOL From my view i could'nt see the modulator, but i did notice heavy frost on the 2 4 23 38 46 and 23. Is Alanta experiencing a cold snap?.
I don't know max, I just always notice those little details that everybody misses, I guess.
Everybody was so focused on the balls they didn't notice the blood curdling screams.
Hilarious! I wonder how many people will get the Wire reference.
Todd, it's been almost 4 hours! How about an update??!!
Im gonna hit the sack and hopefully by the time I get up we will know all about how many first and second prizes there were.
I only got 2, 4, 38 on one ticket and 23, 23 on my second for a total winning of 10 bucks. Only bought 2 dollars in tickets, so a 10 dollars win isn't bad. Anyways, I hope everyone win something today. As for me, I'll wait until another 462 million dollars cash value price to start playing again.
are u telling me only one ticket wins an its in maryland
Oh, that's why I didn't win anything, last night, from my tickets! ARGH!
I simply hate the fact I still got tht gut feeling like I will winsome day. I'm sure everyone does. I think I'm just gonna go back on my 1 ticket per draw streak. I'll avoid all medi and lottery sites. I'll just by my tickets and check them weeks later....that's how everyone else seems to win.
The MM's website has not listed how many winners there were yet, but I know I wasn't one of them. I only got the Mega ball "23." On friday I only won 35 dollars in all. I won some chump change off three of my scratch off tickets yesterday.
I can't even win the big prize off instant tickets.
We don't know that yet. Maryland called it first. No other state has said anything.
How u win $35