Maryland Mega Millions Winner in Dispute; Are Office Lottery Buys a Good Idea? [POLL]
A Baltimore woman is claiming one-third of the $656 million Mega Millions jackpot, but colleagues at the McDonald's restaurant where she works say she bought the tickets for a workplace pool — and that they're winners too.
Mega Millions mania has plunged a Maryland McDonald’s into a bubbling cauldron of controversy hotter than a deep-fried apple pie, reported the New York Post.
Workers at the fast-food joint who pooled their cash for tickets are furious at a colleague who claims she won with a ticket she bought for herself and has no intention of sharing.
“We had a group plan, but I went and played by myself. [The ‘winning’ ticket] wasn’t on the group plan,” McDonald’s “winner’’ Mirlande Wilson 37, told The Post yesterday, insisting she alone bought one of the three tickets nationwide that will split a record $656 million payout.
Maryland Lottery spokeswoman Carole Everett said Monday, "... We really won't believe anybody till they walk in with a ticket and the ticket is valid — and they have identification."
Wilson bought tickets for the her and her McDonald's co-workers at the 7-Eleven in Milford Mill, Maryland, where one of the three winning tickets were sold.
Three tickets — one each in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland — will split the jackpot, which officials said Monday was higher than previously estimated. It is now at $656 million, after sales from the 44 state lotteries were totaled, up from the previously reported $640 million. That means each winner would receive roughly $218 million apiece before taxes, reported NPR.
In New Jersey in 2010, a group of asphalt workers who regularly played Mega Millions sued a co-worker who disappeared after a November 2009 drawing. The co-worker said he needed foot surgery, but crewmembers found his name on a list of Mega Millions winners: He had claimed $38.5 million. A jury last month ordered him to share the jackpot, reported USA TODAY.
In January 2010, an elementary school principal and her staff who had been playing the lottery as a group, decided to come up with a formal written agreement so there would be no hurt feeling; three weeks later the group hit the lottery for $12 million, reported USA TODAY.
Do you think it is a good idea to be part of a group buy for lottery tickets at work? Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us why in the comments.
Jim Rizoli
2:32 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Hard to prove her wrong on this one.
Her word against theirs....
You would think they would of had more control of who bought the tickets, and make a stipulation they couldn't buy separate personal tickets.
You're either in with the pool or you're not.
Jim@ccfiile.com
Kim Poness
2:59 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Whenever I have been a part of office lottery pools, the person who collects the money and purchases the tickets takes copies of them and distributes to everyone in the pool. This woman really should split the winnings with her co-workers. How much money does one person really need for goodness' sake!
Joe Rizoli
3:16 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Kim, exactly what I was going to say. Then there is NO dispute of what the numbers were and WHO had them.
She should buy that McDonalds franchaise.
Joe
Jim Rizoli
3:23 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Making a copy of the tickets would of solved the problem.
On another note .....I think the question should be what would you do with the money.
I would open up a TV studio with all the best equipment and produce good quality
free speech programming that our Forefathers would be proud of.
Everyone would have an opportunity to have their say and get it out on Cable TV
As it is now, Local Cable TV is sorely lacking good quality shows that deal with some tough issues. I'm trying to produce these type of shows on our local Cable now but the resistance is still there to stop us.
One of these days someone with a lot of money who has a good moral compass will throw some money our way to do it.
If you have a lot of money it's important to do some good with it.
Jim@ccfiile.com
BarryC
7:35 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
I don't know the complete story in this matter.... but if they always pool for the Lottery, this lady need to be honest and conscientious and split this money. Lets think about 3 people 72.6 million$$ richer @ a cost of 1$ versus one greedy person walking away with $218m before taxes. Usually unpleasant situations happen to people like this.