Mega Millions has some dreaming big

"Someone has to win," lottery players agree, but pinpointing the where and when remains elusive -- so elusive that players have a better chance of being struck by lightning than they do of winning a major lottery jackpot.

Still, that's no reason not to try, players said. After all, a $2 ticket could just make a lucky winner, or group of winners, millionaires, or in the case of tonight's Mega Millions drawing, a billionaire.

After no big winner Friday night, the Mega Millions jackpot climbed to tonight's estimated $1.55 billion -- if the annuity option is taken -- or $757.2 million, if the winner takes cash.

If he won, Walt Nichols would give a lot of the money to charities that focus on children, especially the Make-A-Wish Foundation, then he would make sure his family and friends are set for life. If there is enough leftover, he'd buy himself a thoroughbred race horse in the hopes of continuing his winning ways.

The Altoona resident said Monday afternoon that he regularly plays Mega Millions, as well as other games, such as Powerball and scratch-offs.

"I enjoy the thrill of it, knowing someone has to win it," he said.

Tonight's Mega Millions jackpot is one of the largest in U.S. lottery history, but the odds are not in players' favor.

No matter the size of the jackpot or how many people play, the odds stand at about 1 in 302.6 million -- that's a lot of zeros, which is what most players will end up with.

While those buying multiple tickets or taking part in an office pool have a better chance, it's not much, and financial experts stress that you shouldn't spend all your money on lottery tickets.

Lottery tickets are "definitely not good investments," Matthew Kovach, an assistant professor in Virginia Tech's economics department told The Associated Press last month. "They're not even investments … there's an expectation you will always lose money."

Local lottery players said they know that, limit how much they spend and enjoy the "what if" scenarios when the jackpots get high.

Kathrine Hartman of Duncansville plays Mega Millions along with other lottery games such as Powerball and scratch-offs.

She spends about $40 a week on the games, she said, and has won smaller amounts and some larger prizes like $500 a couple of times. She likes the crossword scratch-off games and figures she's won more than $1,000 in the last few weeks.

As for playing the lottery drawings with super high jackpots? "It's exciting, especially when the money prize amount is big -- you have to play at least once," she said.

If her luck holds and she wins a big jackpot, Hartman said she'd help those in need.

"I would help everyone I could -- family, friends and the animal shelters," she said.

Lightning strikes more common

The chance of getting struck by lightning once in your lifetime is about one in 15,300, experts said.

Even if you bought a lottery ticket for every drawing over 80 years -- two times a week for Mega Millions and three times a week for Powerball -- you would still be far less likely to win than to be struck by lightning one time in your life, Syracuse University mathematics professor Steven Diaz said.

Because winning is so rare, experts maintain that lottery tickets are horrible investments -- but note that every person's reason for playing the lottery is different.

Some people might buy a $2 lottery ticket as a form of entertainment and find satisfaction in "the excitement of thinking you might win," Diaz said.

For Joel Dennis of Altoona, the reason is more simple.

"I enjoy winning the money," said Dennis, who won $10,000 once, but also $1,000 and $200 to $400 here and there from scratch-offs.

The Altoona resident plays Mega Millions, Powerball, Cash 5 and the scratch-off tickets and said money from his big win went into home improvements. "The others went back into playing more," he said.

A Mega Millions win would have him retiring, saving the money and investing it, and helping friends and family, he said.

Play or save?

Because the odds of winning are so low, financial planners suggest that saving the money each time you want to play is a better deal.

A $2 ticket may not seem like much -- but it can add up for those who are regularly entering the lottery over time. Alternative spending options could include opening an investment account that allows you to invest in small amounts or buying partial stock, Kovach said.

"In reality, it's probably best to diversify by something like an index fund -- but if you're just starting out, I would… (suggest putting it) in the stock market or something like that," he said. "You will actually probably see a return over time."

Lia Nower, a professor and the director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University, told The Associated Press that she is most concerned about people who are buying tickets every day or two or three times a week as opposed to those who purchase a ticket when the jackpot nears $1 billion.

Jack Corle of Altoona said he is one of those lottery players -- he only buys Mega MIllions or other similar games when the jackpots go high.

"I only play when it seems worth it," he said.

He occasionally buys scratch-off tickets, he said, adding "I won $25 and $10 once. ... I lost more money than I won."

While he hasn't really considered what he'd do if he won a major jackpot, Corle said he likely "wouldn't tell anyone I won."

Then, after the excitement died down, he would help family and friends and take a few trips.

Odds have changed

While both Mega Millions and Powerball offer a handful of tiers below the top jackpots -- with the lowest prizes starting at $2 and $4, respectively -- the odds of winning any prize stand at about 1 in 24.

But it's the massive jackpots players are after, and winning those has become more difficult, which is why the jackpots keep climbing.

It's all part of the design.

In 2015, the Powerball lottery lengthened the odds of winning from 1 in 175.2 million to 1 in 292.2 million by expanding the numbers used. Mega Millions followed two years later, lengthening the odds of winning the top prize from 1 in 258.9 million to 1 in 302.6 million. The largest lottery jackpots in the U.S. have come since those changes were made.

The poor odds don't stop lottery players from giving it a shot, though.

Cheryl Hoover of Hollidaysburg has never won more than $1,000 and that was on a scratch-off ticket.

After buying her ticket at Nic's Grab 'n Go in Frankstown on Monday afternoon, the Hollidaysburg resident said she'd travel if she ever won big.

Travel is a common theme among players, along with helping others, retiring, buying a new house, a new car and even a race horse.

"It's just something different and exciting," Nichols said.