NGUOI VIET 2

          What would you do with $1 million?

          Better yet, how about $500 million ― and counting?

          The jackpot for the Mega Millions game, which is played in 42 states, had risen to a half-billion dollars by mid-day Wednesday and is expected to climb by the next lottery drawing on Friday. The previous record for a jackpot came five years ago, when ticket holders in Georgia and New Jersey shared a $390 million pot.

          To be a winner, a ticket must match the five numbers picked from among 56 balls, along with the Mega Ball. The odds of winning? About 176 million to 1.

          The growing prize has set off a frenzy of ticket buying nationwide. Near Los Angeles, some people waited as long as three hours on Tuesday to buy a ticket for that night’s drawing, according to media reports. In Virginia, lottery officials expect to see nearly 6 million tickets that day alone, according to a CNN report. The network said that two weeks ago, when the jackpot stood at $200 million, about 1.3 million tickets were sold in the state.      

          Tickets cost $1.

          Should one ticket hold the winning numbers on Friday, the winner could choose a lump-sum payment instead of having it paid over 26 years. A lump-sum payment on a $500 million payoff would total $359 million before taxes, according to CNN.