I think everyone has fantasized about winning the lottery and dreamed of what they’d do with the sudden windfall. When I saw the Mega Millions drawing was up to $1.35 billion, I began to fantasize as well.

I’m not usually the kind of person who gambles for any reason. I know the odds of winning are long and stacked in favor of the house, so I just skip it and figure I win because I’ve kept all my money.

Choosing the winning numbers. Image: Adobe Express
Choosing the winning numbers. Image: Adobe Express
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But someone has to win, eventually, so why not me? In fact, when I was a teenager, I knew someone personally who won the lottery, so yeah, it’s possible. They also gambled A LOT and invested a fair amount of money in the process.

How do you choose your numbers? Image: Adobe Express
How do you choose your numbers? Image: Adobe Express
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Hey, That’s a Mighty Big Prize Ya Got There…

The size of the prize really got my attention. If you hit all 5 numbers, plus the Mega Ball, you stand to win $1.35 BILLION DOLLARS. I felt like ALL CAPS might come close to expressing the sheer gravity of this amount of money. That’s a serious ton of cash-o-la.

Even considering the government is going to carve out a pretty big cut, you’ll still walk away with a hefty chunk of change. That’s if you take the payout option and get annual payments. Elon Musk may still hit you up for a loan, though, since Forbes reported he’s lost nearly $182 billion since November 2021. Well, maybe Musk won’t be getting in touch any time soon, but it’s fun to think about.

Image: Adobe Express
Image: Adobe Express
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What if you choose the cash option, what do you get to bank? That option is currently sitting at around $707.9 million dollars – definitely nothing to sneeze at. You won’t be shaking a stick at it, either. But you will be laughing all the way to the bank. Where do we get these silly expressions!?

Someone's gotta win. Right? Image: Adobe Express
Someone's gotta win. Right? Image: Adobe Express
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What are the Odds of Winning?

I suppose I’ll pick up a ticket or two (or 17, prolly). What are the chances of winning?

The odds of matching all 5 winning numbers plus the correct Mega Ball to hit the grand prize jackpot is 1 in 302,575,350. That’s a lot of commas for one number.

For a bit of context, as I’m writing this, 302,525,646 seconds ago takes us back to June 13, 2013. That’s pre-pandemic seconds ago. The artist who was once again known as Prince was still with us and TikTok had been invented, yet.

Image: Adobe Express
Image: Adobe Express
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If we don’t hit the Mega Ball number, but get all five of the main numbers, we could still grab a cool $1 Million dollars. The odds of winning that prize falls to one in 12,607,306.

At worst, you’ve got a 1 in 37 chance of winning at least two bucks – so you could at least make back your investment. That is, if you only buy one ticket, and are we really gonna stop with just one?

Image: Adobe Express
Image: Adobe Express
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What Would YOU Do If You Won?

I asked that question on Facebook and was delighted to find most of your answers were pretty similar. I expected something like, “buy a really cool, fancy car” or “buy a yacht”, because, why not?

Help Animal Shelters and Donate to Children's Hospitals. Image: Adobe Express
Help Animal Shelters and Donate to Children's Hospitals. Image: Adobe Express
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But that’s not what you said at all. Paying down bills and taking care of loved ones came in first, followed by tons and tons of philanthropy. Rosemary said she’d help the Sierra Vista Animal Shelter with some of her winnings. Frances would send money to three churches here in Cochise County, then help out three more in her home state. She’d also send some to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, and pet shelters.

Mike had a well-thought-out plan to invest, so the money would keep returning a payout. Then help family, eliminate debt, and finally finish by anonymously spreading random acts of kindness.

Helping Family with Bills and More. Image: Adobe Express
Helping Family with Bills and More. Image: Adobe Express
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No matter what you’d spend the windfall on, may the odds be ever in your favor. And don’t forget your old friend, Val at K101. At least grant me an interview!

 

 

 

 

 

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