Mega Millions jackpot up to $425M ahead of tonight's drawing

Tonight's drawing of the Mega Millions winning numbers will be for the second biggest jackpot it's ever had, about $425 million.

Channel 2’s Jeff Dore talked to customers at a Cobb County gas station about their odds of winning the jackpot.

Most of the customers have said the same thing, they wouldn't risk a dollar for a paltry $100 or$ 200 million jackpot. But get up over 400 million? Get out of their way.

Watch tonight's drawing live on WSB-TV at 11 p.m. before Channel 2 Action News Nightbeat

Clayton King bought a Mega Millions ticket.

“I never buy lottery tickets. Never,” King said.

But when a single winner could claim $425 million, it brings out the seldom-and-never players.

“Once in a blue moon. When it's big. That's it,” said Jamie Hebebrand.

The more people buy, the bigger the jackpot. The bigger the jackpot, the more people buy. The odds of winning are ridiculously tiny. But people buy tickets more for the certainty of a fun fantasy than for the real hope of riches.

“I don't buy lottery tickets very often. But when it's this big, I buy one number for me, one number for my wife. And then we can talk about it and daydream like everybody else does,” said Tom Deardoff.

The worse the odds, the bigger the jackpots. Mega Millions made the jackpot odds worse in October, which means more rollovers, which means super-jackpots.

Atlanta's John Crow hosts the national drawing and loves the super jackpots.

“I kind of hope no one wins, Jeff. I want to see a billion dollar jackpot in Mega Millions future and I think that's coming up,” Crow said.

Everyone who bought a ticket for tonight hopes he's wrong.

WSBTV