Mega Millions jackpot rises to $363 million
(NECN: Eileen Curran, Newton, Mass.) - The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to $363 million. The odds of winning are one in 176 million, but that isn’t stopping people from pooling their money and dreaming big.Matt Tofel of Somerville, Mass. bought a bunch of Mega Millions lottery tickets Tuesday for his office pool.
“I bought $35 worth of quick picks for my office,” he said.
You might just find yourself rooting for him to win when you find out why in a minute.
Ticket sales have been steady all day at Upper Falls Variety in Newton, Ma, where Tofel bought his tickets. Owner Tom O’Shaughnessy said when the jackpot gets this big...
“The pools start, the office pools, people who don’t normally gamble start to gamble,” said O’Shaughnessy.
People like Cindy Kernan. The Newton real estate agent has never bought a lottery ticket before.
“First time ever in my life,” she said. “It’s only because I had lunch with my girlfriend today and she had bought some and told me how much it was for.”
The $363 million jackpot has more people that usual playing, which is good news for O’Shaughnessy. The lottery accounts for 70 percent of his business. He said without it, small, independent stores like his can’t survive.
Kernan bought $10 worth of quick picks. She’s hoping for beginner’s luck, but you might just hope Tofel, who bought his tickets after her, has luck on his side.
“Actually, we found out two weeks ago that our office is closing in two days,” said Tofel. “So we decided we’d like to win the lottery before our company closes.”
Tofel and six coworkers are losing their jobs this week. If they win, they might start up their own company, but not right away.
“I think we first need to go on vacation for a while - it’s been a rough couple weeks," said Tofel. "After we have a couple margaritas someplace tropical and warm, we’d figure it out from there.”
If no one wins Tuesday night's drawing, the estimated jackpot for Friday is $476 million, a Mega Millions record.
Tags: ticket, Newton, lottery, Mega Millions, jackpot, Eileen Curran
