mega millions

Lotto Fever: If You Won Hundreds of Millions, What Would You Do?

The jackpot in Mega Millions was up to about $830 million Tuesday, the third largest in the game's history

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The Mega Millions lottery jackpot prize on Tuesday reached approximately $830 million, the third largest in the game's history.

The cash payout alone amounted to about $487.9 million.

However, the chances of hitting the jackpot are one in 300 million, according to Lottery Now co-founder Richard Wheeler.

If you don't want to share the jackpot with other winners, Wheeler says you should pick numbers others don't tend to choose.

"A lot of people play birthdays, anniversaries, that kind of thing, so they tend to be lower numbers. You know, one through 12, or one through 30," said Wheeler.

Arianna Ilvonen said she would use winnings to pay for college tuition and getting a car.

"It would make my life a lot easier, for sure," she said.

James Amendola, who helps run Quality Mart in Boston's Back Bay, would spend the money on something meaningful.

"I would donate to the Heart Association, because my wife passed away two years ago," he said.

"I'd do a lot of good. I'd give a lot of it away," said Peter Dankens. "I'd spend some of it, I would have fun with a lot of it, even buy a house or two."

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