Lottery jackpot grows in the States

Friday’s Lotto Max jackpot is estimated at 50-million dollars. That is a lot of money. But that number is dwarfed by the millions up for grabs south of the border. The mega millions lottery is now a staggering $636-million U.S. and growing. We spoke to people “over the river” who are digging into their pockets and dreaming big.

There’s a last minute ticket buying frenzy here at tops market in Lewiston, New York. When it gets up to a certain point when everyone’s buying them. And it seems to be a sensation.

At 11 Tuesday morning, the jackpot stood at 586 million dollars. Hours later it was 636 million and growing. With a lumpsum payment of more than 300 million it’s hard not to daydream about what you’d do with the winnings.

“Luxury skybox tickets for the year at Yankee Stadium vacation.”

Q. What do you think your chances are of winning? “I don’t know. God knows. It’s just for fun you know.”

The more tickets sold, the better the chance that someone will match one of the 259 million possible number combinations that could land a jackpot.

Q. Are you excited about the jackpot? “No, only because I’m not going to get it. Just for the fun of it actually. Support the state”

The chances of winning the jackpot are 259 million to one. Actually, you have a thousand times better chance of being killed by a comet.

“I never win anything anyway so what’s the difference. Dollar and a dream, what can I say.”

Edward Shuffle laid down five dollars anyway: “Gotta be a winner in there. I’d be happy with second prize of one million.”

His chances of winning a million dollars are still 18 million to one.

Since the rules changed in October, no one has won the megamillions jackpot. And if no one wins Tuesday night, on Friday the jackpot will be 800 million. And if no one wins then, the jackpot on Christmas Eve will be an unbelievable one billion dollars.