PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Folks across the state flocked to convenience stories Tuesday, hoping for a miracle.
A single winner of the Mega Millions $1.6-billion dollar jackpot could take e home a lump-sum payment of roughly $904-million dollars after taxes. It's the largest jackpot in U.S. history.
Joe's Super Variety store in Portland has been fielding Mega Millions madness for several days. Store manager Chelsea Discatio said once the jackpot hit $1-billion dollars, people started buying tickets in droves.
Discatio bought her own ticket. “ I’m really hoping that more than one person wins. No one really needs all that money. So hopefully we can get 5 or 10 winners. That would be nice,” Discatio said.
Carol Bonow is a first time Mega Millions player. She stopped into Joe's Super Variety after watching NEWS CENTER Maine's 6p.m. newscast on the lottery.
Bonow is hopeful that she might be the lucky winner. "I would call my first thirty dearest friends and then other people and then i would be on the phone for the next 5 days. And how would I feel? Exhausted. And very happy. And then figure out to whom am I giving the money. Cause you have to give it away,“ Bonow said.