Powerball jackpot grows to $430M; Mega Millions' $900M lottery drawing set for Friday

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Thu Oct 18, 2018, 11:50 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: USA Today

Doug Stanglin,

The line for lottery tickets at your nearby convenience store is about to get even longer.

One night after the largest jackpot in Mega Millions history rolled to Friday, Powerball's $378 million prize survived to the next drawing, meaning that the United States' two big lottery games will have a combined $1.3 billion up for grabs at week's end.

The winning Powerball numbers on Wednesday night: 3, 57, 64, 68, 69 and Powerball 15. The next drawing is Saturday at 11 p.m. EDT.

Next up, Friday night's record-breaking Mega Millions, now at $900 million, the second-largest in U.S. history.

FULL story at link below.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/10/17/mega-millions-powerball-lottery-jackpots/1669402002/

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[AllaN01Bear]

1. cant count that high, espically this early in the morning

id get out of my apartment , buy a modest 2 bedroom house and live cofertably , but remember taxes first .

[0rganism]

2. more free advertising for institutionalized gambling!

yay!

[OnlinePoker]

3. A voluntary tax on the numerically illiterate. n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

5. Someone has to win eventually

A lot of good can be done with that kind of money.

[Recursion]

10. The expected value of the ticket is the jackpot times the probability of hitting the jackpot

Jackpot probability is 1 / 302,000,000, so whenever the jackpot is greater than $604m the expected value of a $2 ticket is greater than $2.

(That's slightly simplistic: the partial payouts slightly raise the expected value, and there is some probability of having to share a jackpot payout, which slightly lowers the expected value)

[Turin_C3PO]

12. Some of us aren't numerically illiterate.

I know the odds are astronomically small to win but I still buy a ticket when it gets this high. No other time do I purchase any lottery tickets.

It’s just a fun dream, basically.

[NurseJackie]

4. What is the significance of including the DU search results?

[Omaha Steve]

6. MY bad

Fixed.

[BigGermanGuy]

7. Another word for the Lottery is

the stupid tax.

[Vinca]

8. You know what I'd do with the loot? Set up an insulin factory and run Big Pharma out of the market.

You could do so much good with that kind of cash . . . or you could be a Trump.

[-Steph-]

9. I guess I'll be buying a ticket Friday, maybe even daydream for a little bit about how I would use

the money, and then go to bed Friday night disappointed that I didn't win. That sounds about right.

[Turin_C3PO]

11. I'll buy a ticket.

I know the chances are almost 0% but a guy can dream, right? Plus, part of the lottery goes to fund higher education in my state, New Mexico.

[EarthFirst]

13. For $2 -sure; why not. nt

[brooklynite]

14. People have gambled for millenia

They'll gamble today.

The proceeds can go to your local bookie or to Government services.

Your choice.

[Luciferous]

15. I bought a ticket. It's fun to think about what to do with the money. I would donate

most of it, and take a nice vacation

[JI7]

16. it would be great to win but only if i can remain anonymous

[dustyscamp]

17. I got to drive a ways to buy a ticket :/