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MegaMillions Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 11:19:48 PM EST
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The numbers are 2, 4, 23, 38, 46 and Mega Ball 23. Did you win?

If you didn't win, don't feel bad. The odds:

If you buy 50 tickets a week, you will win the jackpot every 68,000 years.

Update: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: A winning ticket was purchased in Baltimore, MD.

This is an open thread, not just limited to MegaMillions.

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    MegaMillions Open Thread | 31 comments (31 topical)

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    AP reporting winning ticket sold in MD (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by shoephone on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 12:17:33 AM EST
    Anne...????

    One winning ticket was sold in Baltimore (none / 0) (#4)
    by caseyOR on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 12:34:57 AM EST
    County. Still do not know if other winners were sold in other states.

    Parent
    Update: winning tickets sold (none / 0) (#6)
    by caseyOR on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 01:05:13 AM EST
    in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas.

    Parent
    OMG. I was hoping there would be multiple (none / 0) (#13)
    by Angel on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 08:06:52 AM EST
    winning tickets sold.   Just hope the winner doesn't do anything stupid, their life isn't ruined, and the money goes to a lot of worthwhile needs for those less fortunate.  


    Parent
    friend of a coworker around these parts (none / 0) (#19)
    by jondee on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 09:49:25 AM EST
    ; out of work, single, no dependents, borrowed a buck to buy a ticket at a convenience store, won two million, and then turned around and tried to "corner the pot market" in Western NY..Busted big time, about a year later, ending up losing practically everything..

    It won't make you happy. Or make you smart. Or make your friends any smarter..

    At best all money is is a necessary evil. But try telling the folks at Reason, Cato et al that..

    Parent

    Zorba? (none / 0) (#16)
    by Yman on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 08:51:03 AM EST
    Isn't Zorba from MD, too?

    Parent
    Yes, I live (none / 0) (#23)
    by Zorba on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 11:46:09 AM EST
    in Western Maryland.  Alas, I was not the winner.  But then, it's hard to win if you don't buy a ticket.    ;-)
    Don't know if either Anne or sj were winners.  

    Parent
    Sorry to hear (5.00 / 0) (#25)
    by Yman on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 02:07:58 PM EST
    I bought 5 tickets yesterday, although I'm one of the guys who never plays unless I hear about a gazillion dollar jackpot - probably once every year or two.  Already had my island picked out, but only matched one number out of all 5 tickets.

    I heard MD doesn't require the winner to make a public appearance, so if Anne or sj won, we may neer know!  :)

    BTW - Used to live over in Montgomery County/Silver Spring.

    Parent

    Yes, in Maryland, (none / 0) (#28)
    by Zorba on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 06:24:46 PM EST
    You can choose to remain anonymous.  A good idea, I think, for anyone who wants to avoid the inevitable press crush and people coming out of the woodwork begging you for money.
    We go down to Montgomery County fairly often, even though it's a slight haul for us (over an hour away)- there are lots of great restaurants there that we like to go to.  Mostly to Germantown, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Bethesda, though.  We don't generally find ourselves in Silver Spring.  ;-)

    Parent
    Sj??? (none / 0) (#22)
    by vml68 on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 10:34:33 AM EST
    I thought she was from Baltimore too.

    Parent
    Yep (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by sj on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 05:22:38 PM EST
    Alas, I was one of Baltimore's many losers.  Or, as I prefer to call it, not-winners.  Didn't even get one number.

    Parent
    I am always a winner. (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by Gerald USN Ret on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 12:29:56 AM EST
    I have never bought a ticket.

    What is that $50 per week/52 weeks a year, 20 years or so.

    $52,000 WINNER!

    So ... (5.00 / 4) (#5)
    by sj on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 12:56:28 AM EST
    ... if I don't spend $2000 a week, does that make me an even bigger winner? :)

    Parent
    Excellent point. (5.00 / 3) (#8)
    by lentinel on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 04:45:00 AM EST
    I am going to make arrangements with my accountant to not spend up to $50,000 a week on the Lottery. Wow. Thanks for the idea. :)!

    Parent
    lentinel (5.00 / 2) (#27)
    by sj on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 05:29:18 PM EST
    I keep reading this comment and it makes me laugh every time.

    Parent
    Friend of mine was buying ... (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by Yman on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 09:00:01 AM EST
    ... a ticket, but she was at the wrong register.  She apologized, explaining this was the first time she ever bought a MM ticket.  When she started for the door, the guy behind her made a comment to the clerk about "bandwagon losers".  Realizing he was talking about her, she turned back and asked the guy if it felt better to be a loser every week, rather than a "bandwagon loser".  He didn't say anything.

    Parent
    I didn't (5.00 / 5) (#7)
    by lentinel on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 04:43:00 AM EST
    win this - but I got something just as good.

    I just received an email from a representative of the Government of Nigeria Bank that they are holding $56,045,078.00 in a special bank account and that as soon as I send them my personal contact information, they will arrange for me to receive it on behalf of a no-longer living person who is looking for a beneficiary.

    I am about to reply, but I wanted to inform everyone here first of this wonderful news.

    I could not be happier for you (5.00 / 5) (#9)
    by ruffian on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 06:37:16 AM EST


    Parent
    I used to respond to those (5.00 / 7) (#24)
    by Peter G on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 01:18:48 PM EST
    by stating that while I was not interesting in being a victim, I was interested in being hired to help represent them after indictment, and they should keep my e-mail address on file for that purpose. With my detailed knowledge of the federal sentencing system, I pointed out, they could be hopeful (but not assured) of keeping the sentence below ten years' imprisonment. This response once even garnered a reply. It was two words long.  Due to attorney-client privilege, coupled with TL's "safe-for-work" house rules, I cannot repeat the full reply here, but I feel at liberty to reveal that the second word was "you."  

    Parent
    Hmmmm, those don't sound like (5.00 / 3) (#10)
    by ruffian on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 06:48:34 AM EST
    kdog's TL numbers. Guess we will have to finance the TL convention some other way.

    Indeed they are not... (5.00 / 3) (#11)
    by kdog on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 07:56:05 AM EST
    Congrats to the winners, back to work Monday for us losers;)

    We had some fun for 3 bucks though didn't we?  

    And to be honest I was kinda dreading having to set up a corporation and hiring lawyers and having to explain to my family and friends that I already had agreed to equally share with dozens if not hundreds of people they don't know from a hole in the wall...awkward!  Not to mention that tax bill...I feel guilty enough providing the little funding for their dirty that I do now.

    Yeah who needs it! Mo' money, mo' problems;)

    Parent

    Quality problems (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by BackFromOhio on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 08:54:40 AM EST
    if I ever knew them

    Parent
    Are you sure you didn't win but changed (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 08:03:19 AM EST
    your mind about sharing?

    Parent
    Ya got me... (5.00 / 4) (#15)
    by kdog on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 08:15:58 AM EST
    I'm with a crack-staff of sharks right now, looking for a loophole in my comment contract;)

    If we were one of the winners we mighta had a big problem anyway...I would refuse to accept a check, even a big cardboard one, you know me and banks...I don't know if the Mega-Millions people even offer a pay out in cash.  Coulda been a long court battle before we saw dime one.  I would not be able to resist the temptation to make some anti-bank political theater out of winning.

    Parent

    A bad day. I just can't afford to lose (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by KeysDan on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 09:52:11 AM EST
    this much money.   Guess a couple of Cadillacs will have to do without an elevator.

    Never bought a lottery ticket (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Repack Rider on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 10:04:02 AM EST
    Never will.

    I WON! (5.00 / 4) (#29)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 07:52:29 PM EST
    I won $3.  Just need to figure out if I should take it out in annuity or lump sum ;-).

    Hoping it'll work as a down payment on that island I had picked out

    I'm not a winner -- this time! (none / 0) (#1)
    by shoephone on Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 11:38:16 PM EST
    But jeez, one person actually spent $2600 on tickets? Insanity. I'll guess that person is out $2600 tonight.

    I only ever buy one ticket and I let the machine pick for me. I've been sorta lucky at the gas station where I buy them. Over the last three months, I've had three numbers on two Mega Millions and four Washington Lotto tickets. Only $3 payouts for Lotto, but one Mega ticket netted me $30 for my one dollar investment. Not bad, in my opinion.

    If any TLers won tonight, congrats!!! (And, obviously, see you on Kdog's pirate boat..)

    Three winning tickets per CNN. (none / 0) (#14)
    by Angel on Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 08:13:53 AM EST
    Maryland, Illinois and Kansas.

    I'm happy there were multiple winners!

    Lottery craze benefits States (none / 0) (#30)
    by DFLer on Mon Apr 02, 2012 at 09:00:39 AM EST
    Well at least this:

    Even without a major winner here (in MN), lottery fever still paid off for the state. The frenzy generated $5.2 million, which will be divided among four beneficiaries.

    The Minnesota State Lottery says $2.9 million will go to the state's general fund, which supports state services such as education and transportation.

    Another $1.7 million goes to the Environment and Natural Resources trust fund. The fund helps maintain state parks and build state trails.

    Two other funds, the Game and Fish Fund and Natural Resources Fund, will each get about $301,000.

    Not bad!

    hmm (none / 0) (#31)
    by Euro News Magazine on Wed Jun 20, 2012 at 04:04:55 AM EST
    Euro News Magazine

    MegaMillions Open Thread | 31 comments (31 topical)

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