The Mega Millions jackup is up again - this time to $1 billion - and buyers are clamoring at the chance to get a cut of the cash.
"It’s definitely worth a couple of tickets," said John Fitzgerald, a lotto buyer from Rocky Hill. If the jackpot is won Friday night it would be the third-largest lottery prize ever, below only two jackpots exceeding $1.5 billion.
Buyers like Patty Parlante want in on the cash, grabbing multiple tickets in hopes of hitting it big.
"Today five. I bought three the other day," Parlante explained.
But what are the odds? According to CNBC to give yourself even a 50-50 chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot, you’d have to buy more than 151 million different number combinations
For the Mega Millions you have a 1 in 302 million chance of winning. For Powerball the chances are slightly better with 1 in 292 million.
But the number one question that on everyone's mind - what to do with all that money?
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"I have no idea," Fitzgerald said. "Just my luck I probably have a heart attack."
Parlante has some plans saying, "the first thing I would do is build a house. I have a handicapped son my husband and I take care of and it’s getting difficult as we get older."
Parlante says if she won she’s would be willing to spread the wealth.
"I don’t even want the whole thing I would be willing to share it with somebody. I would need just enough to be comfortable until the day the good Lord calls me up to heaven hopefully that’s all."
