Transcript for Coworkers form office pools for chance at $1.6B jackpot
Back now on “Gma,” and you’re looking live at the mega millions machines that will determine the winning numbers for tonight’s $1.6 billion drawing. ABC’s Adrienne Bankert, she has a look at the office pools going for the prize and what you can buy if you win. Adrienne, pretty nice car you’re in right there. I borrowed it from George, Michael. This is my roll around town car. This is the bugatti. It’s worth just under $2 million. 1000 horsepower. Top speed of 260 miles per hour and currently the most expensive car that Manhattan motor cars has on its lot and you can afford it if you win tonight’s drawing and you can afford a whole lot more. With just hours to go until the largest jackpot ever in U.S. Lottery history, millions of Americans dream about how they’d spend that $1.6 billion. How about staying here, you can have the entire 50th floor of the luxurious four seasons hotel in New York complete with 360-degree views of Manhattan for $30,000 a night. You could spend every night here for the rest of your life and still have plenty to spend at Cartier and Rolex. All of them. With more high-end shopping around the corner on fifth avenue home to some of the most elegant and expensive stores but some who manage to have it all end up losing it all. One study estimates that a third of lottery winners go bankrupt within the first five years. More money doesn’t necessarily mean more problems. This couple from Iowa won a $202 million jackpot back in 201. We certainly have the ability to have a lot of fun and traveling certainly is a big part of that. Reporter: When they aren’t traveling they choose to give back paying for a new high school football stadium in their town. And philanthropy is common among those we spoke with. The lady who won the lottery ticket, her car was no longer usable and gave her enough money to buy a new car and that just blew her mind. Reporter: This team of Florida realtors all chipped in as a group of 12 to play their odds at winning it big back in 2013. Lo and behold, my husband looked it up and he said, babe, I think it’s a million. Reporter: They won $1 million. Even letting a new employee in the office share in the winnings even though she hasn’t bought a ticket. Since then they’ve been giving back anyway they can to their local community. Today they hope lightning strikes twice. We’re going to buy some tickets tomorrow and see if we get the 1.6 — All: Billion with a “B.” Yes. Fingers crossed for all those who are playing. Giving back really is priceless. You don’t even have to be a billionaire to do that. It’s priceless to sit in a car worth more than any bam bore genie or roles Royce in the United States. It’s having me and the crew dream bigger. You can drop that back over here. I’ll take it off your hands. We turn to Gretchen Corbin, the president and CEO of the Georgia lottery which supervises mega millions. Thanks for joining us. $1.6 billion. So the nation’s attention is on mega millions so how much pressure does that put on you and your staff? Oh, not much pressure at all because we handle these draws daily and so excited. $1.6 billion, not a lot of pressure but tons of excitement. Welcome from the draw set of mega millions. Well, thank you for inviting us in. Mega millions recently changed its formula in hopes of increasing jackpots, I would say you were able to do that. Can you explain the reason behind that? Absolutely, robin. We heard from our lottery players that we would like larger jackpots so we followed the model that Powerball had previously set and we followed the model so that we’re seeing larger jackpots and we are also seeing opportunities for more second chance prizes and so these second prizes are second tier prizes and these second tier prizes, more $1 million winners, so I hope to see a $1.6 billion jackpot winner but how about some millionaires as well. We keep hearing 1.6 billion but could it get higher than that before 11:00 tonight? Depending on sales, it might creep a teeny bit higher. We’ll have to see how sales go today. And, Gretchen, I think you already said it. With so many people playing, you expect a winner tonight. Well, I think that every time the jackpot gets a little higher, we, of course, think that it’s going to be today. It’s going to be today and in Georgia we always say today could be your day. I think it is definitely possible but do know there’s coverage left so there’s opportunity for everyone to get involved and definitely that winning ticket may have been sold but it’s still maybe waiting on you. Very good there, Gretchen. All right. We may be talking to you again. Thank you so much. All the best today. We hope so? Thank you.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
