“A $540 million jackpot, if taken as a $390 million lump sum and after federal tax withholding, works out to about $293 million. With the jackpot odds at 1 in 176 million, it would cost $176 million to buy up every combination. Under that scenario, the strategy would win $117 million — less if your state also withholds taxes.

“But there are too many limitations. First, if it takes five seconds to fill out each card, you’d need almost 28 years just to mark the bubbles on the game tickets. You’d also use up the national supply of special lottery paper and lottery-machine printing ink well before all your tickets could be printed out.” (Source: mail.com)

AP Photo, people in line for tickets

AP photo, more tickets – better chance?

Here are the wish lists of some Lancaster Countians as reported in this Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era article:

Record lottery jackpot fuels fantasies – Cash option is $389 million!

“James Witherspoon of Lancaster once served with the U.S. Army in Germany, and he would gladly pull up stakes and go back.

“And in his hands Thursday was his “plane ticket” back to Europe — a Mega Millions lottery ticket.

“‘I’m just going to live!’ Witherspoon, 59, said when asked what he would do if he wins the lottery, which was at $540 million Thursday night but is sure to grow. ‘I don’t want to think about it, I just want to win it!’

“He also would buy a yacht and a jet, Witherspoon said.

“Lynda Lefever said she would go on a trip and do a few other things for herself, but mostly she would like to ‘help all of the people who are struggling.’

‘Other than that, I wouldn’t change much. If it was going to change me, I wouldn’t want to win it,’ the 50-year-old Lancaster Township resident said.

“Thousands of people in Lancaster County are dreaming of millions, thanks to Mega Millions, a multistate lottery that’s up for grabs in a drawing late Friday night.

“Ticket-buyers on Thursday said they could envision having a new house, a vacation home in the Caribbean, a sports car and the ability to take care of their family.

“But at a time when so many people are hurting financially, nearly everyone interviewed also said they would help those in need, especially children and the elderly.

“Whatever they did after winning, ‘the first thing they’d have to do is have someone scrape them off the floor’ after they fainted, Barb Henry said from behind the counter Thursday at Brewers Outlet at Manor Shopping Center.

“Phyllis Gordon said, ‘It would be a wonderful thing, but I would have to help seniors, children, the Humane Society. People need a lot of help right now. You have to share it. How can you not do that?

“‘You see it every day, a lot of homeless people and folks in need. Plus, there are so many good places that could use some help.’” Click here to continue reading this article.