Record $1.6 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot Up For Grabs Tonight
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(KDKA/CNN) -- Is this the night someone makes lottery history in the United States?
Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing is for a jackpot estimated at $1.6 billion, which would be the nation's largest-ever.
That's the value if the winner or winners select annuity payments. The one-time cash option is estimated at $905 million -- still nothing to sneeze at.
The owner of Zoe's Beer in Brentwood said he expects a mid-day rush around 3pm Tuesday.
"It's never been this high and it's incredible how many tickets we're selling now," said Michael Kennedy. "We're doing really well with them."
Kennedy said people will buy their tickets at his store because there's never a long line. He said he just bought his ticket- only one!
"Oh yes, one ticket," said Kennedy. "If you can't win with one you can't win, right?"
Some people are filling out individual tickets and others are entering an office pool. Either way, dreamers have until Tuesday night to get their hands on a chance to win the 1.6 billion dollar jackpot.
"It's quick pick, but I paid 3 bucks- you know the maximum," said John Hasenkopf, Brookline Resident.
Hasenkopf said he's already played Pebble Beach, so he'd probably buy a really expensive cigar and relax and think about how he'd spend the money.
"I'm going to be 70," said Hasenkopf. "I'd probably fall over dead."
Meanwhile, Fred Ramsey and his son, Fred Ramsey, Jr. said they'll no longer head into work if they hit it big."That 1.6 billion would be nice," said Fred Ramsey Jr. "I'll give him a million."
"That's definitely enough money to live off of for the rest of your life and your grandkids so you only want to give me a million or two?" said Ramsey.
Experts have one word of advice: if you're entering an office poll, get the terms in writing to avoid future legal issues. In the past, there have been cases where the court ruled in favor of the one coworker who physically purchased the ticket, meaning all of the other coworkers were out of luck.
"I couldn't see that happening here, everyone here is pretty close," said Kennedy.
Putting things in writing isn't fun, but it's the safer bet. It's not always easy to trust a coworker when you're dealing with that much money.
The current U.S. lottery jackpot record is $1.586 billion, won in a Powerball drawing in January 2016
And speaking of Powerball: That game's next drawing is Wednesday, for an estimated jackpot of $620 million.
That puts the jackpots for the nation's two largest lotteries at more than $2.2 billion.
"It's hard to overstate how exciting this is -- but now it's really getting fun," Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Group and director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming, said over the weekend.
Mega Millions has already smashed its own jackpot record, which was $656 million, shared by winners in three states in March 2012.
The nation's largest lottery jackpots have rolled for a few months.
No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since July 24, when 11 coworkers in California split $543 million.
Powerball has climbed since there was a winner in New York on Aug. 11.
Each Powerball or Mega Millions ticket is $2. The games are played in 44 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is played in Puerto Rico.
(TM and © Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The CNN Wire contributed to this report.)
