JIM THORPE, Pa. — "I'm with everybody else. You can't win if you don't play!" said Michele Welteroth of Jim Thorpe.
That was the attitude shared by many customers at Leffler's Express in Jim Thorpe as they tried their luck on the lottery.
First-timers and weekly players stopped in to the convenience store for a chance at winning the massive jackpots this week.
"I usually don't play the lottery, but once in a while we do, and being housed up like we've been, it's a little excitement," said Harriett Jackson of Jim Thorpe.
Staff members say some nights over the last week, it's been so busy that the line to buy lottery tickets has stretched all the way out the door, and the employees have spent so many hours behind the cash registers that their fingers begin to hurt.
The Mega Millions jackpot is currently $850 million, the second largest in the game's history. The Powerball jackpot is also up to a whopping $730 million.
"It's huge, life-altering obviously," said Howard Horowitz.
"Unbelievable, I don't know what I would do, I'd try to help a lot of people and so forth," said Harriett Jackson.
Half the fun is just imagining what to do with all that dough.
"It's too much money for one person, let's just say that. I'd give a lot of it away to a lot of organizations and my American Legion and what not. But I'd definitely pay some bills off with it," said Michele Welteroth.
"I'd share it with a lot of people. First thing, probably pay off my house," said Howard Horowitz.
"I'd help a lot of people, help myself, and help a lot of friends get out of debt. First thing I would buy? I'd want to fix up my house," said Anne McArdle of Jim Thorpe.
You can watch the Mega Millions drawing on WNEP-TV on Tuesday before Newswatch 16 at 11 and the Powerball drawing on Wednesday before Newswatch 16 at 11.