LOCAL NEWS

Utahns Flock to Idaho For Chance At $1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot

Oct 19, 2018, 6:45 PM | Updated: 9:24 pm

MALAD, Idaho – Thousands of Utahns have made the trip across the northern border to Idaho for a chance at the Mega Millions Jackpot drawing, even though many know the odds of them winning are extremely low.

Lines to buy lottery tickets wrapped around the inside of KJ’s Kwik Stop Friday, even going out the back door. It was hard to find anyone who wasn’t from Utah.

“Somebody’s got to win eventually. Hopefully people in Utah,” said West Jordan resident Boualyna Sayavong. “Hopefully it’s me, but for everybody (in line’s) sake, hopefully people in Utah!”

Nicole Dickerson, of Ogden, was among those positive thinkers. She was not fazed by the long lines.

“I expected it. It’s time for a Utahn to win,” Dickerson said. “I’m hoping. Here’s hoping.”

The more people who enter, the more the odds of winning have dropped. At the last calculation, the dds of winning were about 1 in 302.6 million. On top of that, many millions of people already had to lose in order build a $1 billion jackpot.

Each time someone wins, the jackpot resets to $40 million. Roughly half of the ticket sales go to building the jackpot, and already there have been 22 million non-jackpot winners since the last win.

Still, somebody has to win… eventually. That’s what many like Dickerson have been counting on.

“I have plans. I would definitely buy a home… buy my family a home, (and) a lot of fun stuff,” Dickerson said.

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Utahns Flock to Idaho For Chance At $1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot