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Between Mega Millions And Powerball Lotto Players Could Take Home $783-Million

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- If you're feeling positive on New Year's Day, you may want to try your luck and pick up a lottery ticket or tickets.

With no big Powerball or Mega Millions winners over the weekend, you're looking at $783-million up for grabs.

You can't help but notice the flashing $440-million Powerball and $343-million Mega Millions signs, combine those amounts and your bank account in 2018 may just make your heart sing, but you've got to buy a ticket.

Leah Moore took a chance at both jackpots.

"I'm just feeling lucky," she said.

One group of ladies said dreaming about the possibility of becoming a multi-millionaire is a great way to start off the new year.

"I would absolutely divide between friends and family, and I'm headed south, far south," Beth Gainey said.

Doug Clark was feeling confident, coughing up $52 for three months worth of Powerball tickets.

"Many years ago when I lived in New York you could buy them for a year, and they said they call you if you won. They never called," he said.

Even though New Year's Day may seem like the perfect time to take a chance on winning big, Pravin Patel, owner of Laxmi Grocery in Hell's Kitchen said it wasn't the case.

"Very slow today," Patel said.

On the day of the actual drawing, Patel said the line goes all the way to the back of the store. He predicts sales will be seven to eight times higher than Monday.

"They want to win money," he said.

Patel said in the 26 years he's been selling tickets, his store has brought a lot of people luck, and maybe this time the big bucks.

The estimated $343-million Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday, and the Powerball

 

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