New Mexicans Hoping To Get Lucky At Mega Millions
Half a billion dollars. $640 million to be exact.
That’s how much is up for grabs in the world’s largest jackpot ever.
New Mexico Lottery officials said the state has sold more than $2 million worth of Mega Millions tickets so far. By Friday’s drawing, officials expect that number to increase as people rush to beat the deadline.
Locally-owned Toucan Market in Las Cruces has seen its share of ticket buyers. Owner Bob Baur said they’ve been selling about $100 worth of tickets everyday.
“I can’t tell you how much we’re gonna sell today, but it’s way over that already,” Baur told ABC-7. “It’s just fun. It’s a lot of fun. I think everybody knows that they’ve got one in a 176 million chance to win it, but somebody has to win it.”
Baur said he usually doesn’t buy lotto tickets since he sells them all day, but with such a large sum of money at stake, he just had to get one.
With millions of tickets being sold across the country, the odds of winning are astronomical. That hasn’t stopped Las Crucens from dreaming about what they could afford with the winnings.
“Of course I’ll go to Hawaii, live there for about three months maybe. Go all over,” Lupe Nevarez said.
“Like a lot of others I plan to share my wealth with charities and my family,” Phil Breen said.
“We’d definitely pay off any debt that we have, help out some family, and probably give to charity,” said Don Henderson.
And as for Baur?
“I would give the money to my wife and let her spend it,” Baur said.
Officials say if no one wins the drawing on Friday, the jackpot will soar to an estimated $975 million.
