By Caroline McBride for The Sun Chronicle
Published March 30, 2012, The Sun Chronicle
Cumberland Farms on County Street in Attleboro was buzzing Thursday as customers crammed the counter to buy tickets for the $540 million Mega Millions jackpot.
Employee Deb DiGiampietro joked with the lottery customers.
"I made them promise to share the money with me if they won," DiGiampietro said. "If I won, I'd absolutely share it."
DiGiampietro has plenty of plans if she wins a share of the half-billion dollars.
"I'd pay for my twin girls' college education for the next four years," DiGiampietro said. "And I'd pay off my house."
Cumberland Farms customer Jimmy Stewart admitted he had no strategy when picking his numbers.
"Whatever happens, happens," Stewart said. "I'm just hoping for the best."
Stewart said he would use the money to take care of his family.
Steve Barris, a regular lottery player, shrugged his shoulders as he walked out of Cumberland Farms with his ticket.
"Why not? It's worth a shot. A jackpot this big might be once in a lifetime," Barris said. "And somebody out there's gonna have a pretty life-changing weekend."
At the Sun Market on Union Street in Attleboro, ticket sales started building Tuesday night.
Customer Phalla Sem gasped when she saw the Mega Millions sign reading $500 million.
Sun Market owner Bipin Patel that's been a common reaction among customers.
"This is the highest the jackpot has ever been, and customers have noticed," Patel said. "Most people that come into the store will buy at least one ticket, some people are buying five or more."
Nina Dacey, another Sun Market customer, said she buys lottery tickets fairly often, but is hoping to increase her chances for such a big prize.
"I usually buy a ticket, but I'm definitely going to buy more for a half a billion dollar jackpot," Dacey said.
After no winner was drawn on Tuesday night, the jackpot grew from $376 million to an estimated $476 million. The next drawing will take place at 11 tonight.
Patel is optimistic.
"Someone is definitely going to win this time around," Patel said. "I have a good feeling it will be someone from the state."
Lottery officials and mathematicians estimate the odds of winning Mega Millions to be about one in 176 million.
The odds of getting struck by lightning are one in 280,000, according to the National Lightning Safety Institute.
That means a person is five time more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery.
Michael Shackleford, a gaming mathematician and actuary, says there is no clear strategy to increase your chances of winning.
"Your chances of winning the jackpot with Mega Millions will always be the same," Shackleford said. "It doesn't matter what numbers you pick or the jackpot size."
Although there is no way to increase your chances of winning, there are ways to avoid sharing prize money.
Shackleford said that people tend to choose familiar numbers.
"Everyone was born in a month from one to 12 and days are 1 and 31, ignoring the late 30s and 40s," Shackleford said. "If someone were picking birthdays, they have a greater chance to split it with other birthday pickers."
"Mega Half Billion" The Sun Chronicle link
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