PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — People in South Florida and across the country are picking up lottery tickets as part of their last-minute errands this Christmas Eve.
The Mega Millions jackpot has reached an estimated $1 billion for Tuesday night's drawing, with a cash payout of about $449 million. It's now the seventh-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.
People in West Palm Beach who are hoping to win big spoke to WPTV for this lottery poem, in the spirit of the holiday season.
'Twas the day before Christmas, and in Palm Beach County,
The word — it was spreading — of a very big bounty.
Not 100...
Not 200...
Not 300 million.
Today's total jackpot, is approaching a billion.
"Do you play a lot?"
"I used to. Not anymore."
But for Jose Tagle, the haul was too big to ignore.
Some, for the first time, came to give it a shot.
Like James Evens, who said,"Billion dollars? Why not?"
Yes, we know.
Odds are slim, that you'll win a ton.
But dreaming about it is part of the fun.
So what'll it be?
"No more working. Well- uh-"
On second thought…
"I would still probably work — charity."
The idea of becoming a new millionaire,
Made sweeter this Christmas, by wanting to share.
"I'm in two, three nonprofits, and we do a lot for the community."
And how could Tagle turn down that opportunity?
Sure, the holidays can come with stress and strife…
But Evens said, the money, "That'd change me and a lot of people's lives."
So will you win the pot?
Will your numbers be right?
To find out, the drawing's at 11 Tuesday night.
