[NRx]

I rarely play the lottery but dropped 2 bucks for the entertainment value.

[Yo-Yo]

You know, with the lousy stock market today, I think I’d opt for the 20 year payout.

[al baby]

I play it too most times when it gets big enough that the tv newspeople start going bonkers

[Bob434]

$500 million pre taxes instant payout-

$260oor so million after taxes

Wonder if it would be better taking the 30 year payout, or getting $260 right away and begin investing it?- of course you could invest your yearly payout over 30 years too-

[wally_bert]

Never bought a ticket.

[gwgn02]

Its alot of money, and the odd’s are impossibly against you. Which is why it’s the perfect government scheme to tax people without any complaints from them.

[3D-JOY]

Are there states that do not participate?

I seem to remember that.

I could spare 2$ to boost the Freepathon!

[CSM]

If rich people are so very evil that the democrats feel the need to punish them into poverty, then why do so many people want to be rich?

(in full disclosure, yes I am in a couple of “pools” for this drawing...)

[kevkrom]

Roughly $238 million in after-tax cash (by my normal estimate of 34% of the total jackpot, but that number is a few years old). Put in perspective, you could pay cash outright with that to buy a professional sports franchise as valuable as, oh say any MLS team, and still have more than enough left to live extremely comfortably by stashing the rest in a save income-generating investment.

[Snickering Hound]

[Talisker]

Realistically, lotteries never pay off, ever. The only way you’re going to win a lottery is if God wants to give you a bunch of money.

That’s it. So don’t kid yourself.

[Cyman]

I am waiting for it to top $1 billion, then it will be worth buying some tickets.

[Bringbackthedraft]

It’s the Gov’t who wins at lotto. They tax it when you get it, if you share it with your relatives they’ll tax it again. You end up as a millionaire and your tax bracket causes you to be taxed again, and again, and again. They win on both ends of the prize.

[tophat9000]

Let see....800 million... that 498 million cash pre tax... so that what?....say a Buck.98 net?

[BigEdLB]

44 states, DC, PR, VI. No Powerball in AL, AK, HI, MS, NV, and UT.

[Gay State Conservative]

I'd give all but $15 million to charities...*real* charities,not art museums and women's (or men's) health clinics.I'd give $7.5 million to numerous relatives (and one or two friends).With the remainder I'd buy a small condo/coop on the Upper West Side of Manhattan,a nice "middle class" condo in Sarasota and a Mercedes S Class.And the rest goes into Treasury bills/bonds.

And in a few years my heirs (I'm old) will get it.

[PLMerite]

After an initial splurge on fast cars and slow women, it would be more money than I could spend in what time I have left.

[chicagolady]

I’M GONNA WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bellflower]

In my life I haven’t bought a lottery ticket yet. The only way I would buy one is if The LORD told me to and then it wouldn’t be gambling, it would be a sure thing. The Bible says that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just.