ATLANTA — Glenn Bell calls himself a risktaker. He's hoping his latest risk nets him $830 million in the form of a Mega Millions jackpot prize. Bell said he would only tell his family if he won and help them with whatever they need.
"Housing, whatever, just to ease up everything and take the stress and relief off everything," Bell said. "If I catch the right play, you might not see me again.”
Gretchen Corbin, president and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, said players have a one in 303 million chance to win the jackpot. Players have a one in 24 chance to win a prize as part of Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing. The $830 million jackpot alone has generated $16.4 million for education in Georgia, Corbin said, and since 1992, the Georgia Lottery has raised almost $25 billion for programs like Pre-K and the HOPE Scholarship.
"Over two million students have benefitted from the HOPE program in Georgia, and over 1.7 million 4-year-old's have attended Pre-K," Corbin said. "We're thankful for our players because we know every time they play, a student wins."
Corbin said history bodes well for lottery players in Georgia, especially when they play Mega Millions. The Peach State's last jackpot winner hit for $83 million in November 2016. A maintenance man in Bainbridge won more than $160 million in 2015, and a woman from Stone Mountain won a share of a $648 million prize in 2013.
"Georgia's a lucky state, and we've had 20 Mega Millions jackpot tickets sold in Georgia in our history," Corbin said. "The Georgia lottery is for Georgians. It’s for us to all have fun, but at the end of the day, it’s for the revenues to go back to education in the state to Georgia.”
Stores that sell the winning jackpot ticket get a commission and a $50,000 bonus, officials told 11Alive.
Benjamin Carr said he would buy health insurance, pay for gas and travel if he won big.
"I would actually be able to find a spouse if I won," Carr said. "Lottery winning can be the worst thing that could possibly happen to you, it could ruin your life. But at the same time, what an interesting way to go.”
With rising food and gas prices, and inflation touching nearly every sector, Bell said hitting the lottery would make his risk-taking style worth it.
"If I hit this, we wouldn't be worrying about the inflation," Bell said.