She said, "I really thought they were pranking me, because I was the new girl and I was the only one who didn't put into the pool.". And in New Jersey, Americo Lopes was in charge of his lottery pool at work. Sometimes people do well -- and do good -- in the same moment. The group has the option of taking the full amount over 30 years, or taking the lump-sum option of $320.5 million. Yahoo!". The California Lottery has identified the winners of the July 24 Mega Millions drawing as an office pool of 11 people who work in Santa Clara County. "Say there are 15 people who win a lot of money. The very next week, he claimed he had won the MegaMillions lottery. But for one co-worker, the news brought a different surprise. Since 2013 that optimism and a shot at winning big have motivated Uran to organize a lottery pool at the Coon Rapids office of Adams Publishing Group (the parent company of ABC Newspapers), where he works in the production department. The 31-year-old assistant's heart skipped a beat. And lottery officials have some valuable--but non-binding--advice for these winners. We recognize that the payment of Lottery prizes is pursuant to [home state of lottery pool members] State Law and Lottery regulations. The Minnesota Lottery said 28 people, who called their lottery pool "Team APG," claimed the Powerball prize Tuesday afternoon. Technically, office lottery pools are legal for employees of the U.S. Government. "People don't treat it like a transaction [potentially] worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but that's essentially what it is," said Kurland, who specializes in helping lottery winners. No one will say the size of Maldonado's share, but no one has heard her complaining, either. Know the rules of your office pool and put them in writing. "We decided to include her and give her some of the money so that she would feel all the excitement, and part of the family, and know how much we cared about her," Laurie Finkelstein-Reader said. Check out the reactions below when office pool leader Julie texted the group late last night. 8. ", Finklestein-Reader should know. The office lottery pool is a way to improve your odds and have a little fun with co-workers. This protects the people in the pool and the organizer. Powerball winners at Laurie Finkelstein-Reader's Florida real-estate office. Before taxes, each of them had won $83,000. The simple lesson, say lottery officials and lawyers, is that before you plunk down your money in an office lottery pool, get everything in writing. But with money tight, Maldonado told them no thanks. Watch Mark Strassmann's full report in the video above. In that case, winners would end up turning to a more complex solution, such as forming a trust. Some office pool wins don’t end quite so happily. Keep the Pool's Lottery Tickets in a Safe, Accessible Place Make a public list of who is in the pool, if everyone in the group agrees. "We love that company. Seven Indianapolis hair stylists have sued another co-worker, claiming she cut them out of a $9.5 million jackpot last month. Finkelstein-Reader said, "They'll buy houses, they'll buy cars. They're an innocent way for coworkers to bond. Be sure to weigh the perks against the cost58 percent of workers to get a pay raise, study shows. All Rights Reserved. The winners have the option of taking a lump sum of $320.5 million or taking the full amount spread out over 30 years. "And I think that if you do the right thing, the right thing comes to you. Ranging in age from 21 to 60, the players had each pitched in $2 in a spur-of-the-moment office pool the day before the July 24 drawing. Office lottery pools sometimes make news for the wrong reasons. "So the lady who was working with me had to wait," Finkelstein-Reader said. We love what we've built there. Getting 15 people to agree on anything is difficult," Kurland said. Photo by Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images staff, This is what you do if you win the lottery, were the winners of last month's $543 Mega Millions jackpo, Are you cheap or just frugal? A Friday release says the … While the win might inspire you to join a lottery pool at your own workplace, experts say to make sure you proceed with caution. Participants pool their cash together to buy multiple tickets, hoping to share the jackpot. They recommend that pool winners retain a lawyer to draft a formal agreement specifying how the … 1  A 7-person office lottery pool at New York State's Division of Housing and Community Renewal in Albany split a $319 million Mega Millions jackpot in … In 2013, seven hair stylists at an Indiana salon sued a co-worker who had bought a winning state lottery ticket. A group of 11 co-workers in California were the winners of last month’s $543 Mega Millions jackpo t, the California Lottery announced Friday. "We want to keep our jobs," Reyes said in a statement released by the California Lottery. After the celebration ends, the real work of … Here's how to tell, Considering an airline credit card? A lottery pool can be organized as formally or as informally as you wish, but at the very least you need to be aware of the rules and conditions that your state lottery has in place governing group play. We want to hear from you. In the event of a discrepancy, official records will prevail. On July 24, those very numbers were drawn. © 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "You're still talking about huge odds," Kurland said. Be sure to weigh the perks against the cost, 58 percent of workers to get a pay raise, study shows. When she bought her group's tickets at a Florida gas station, another Powerball player cut ahead of her in line. The office pool had the store pick the lottery numbers automatically: 1, 2, 4, 19, 29 and the bonus “Mega” number, 20. The way we play our office lottery pool is by forming a group of trusted players. It was written by Charlie Grandy and directed by cast member John Krasinski.The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 6, 2011. The group was playing only their second lottery. A 49-person office lottery pool at SEPTA, a Pennsylvania transit agency, won a Powerball jackpot for $172.7 million in April of 2012. Regulations prohibit federal employees from conducting a lottery or pool while on duty or on government-owned or leased property. Then he quit his construction job. Past Lottery Pool Winners 42 MEGA watts Electricity filled the air when a group of 42 ComEd employees at the Oakbrook, Illinois office discovered they won a $1million Mega Millions prize. California Privacy/Information We Collect. "The person should give a copy of the tickets and a list of [participants] to everyone who's in the pool," Kurland said. Oftentimes, especially when jackpots swell to gargantuan amounts, several friends, family members or co-workers pool their money and purchase tickets as a group. ... *Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, and Jersey Cash 5 estimated jackpots are based on sales and one winner. Hitting the jackpot as part of a group can add complications to the win. Buying more than one — whether through an office pool or on your own — doesn't increase your chances by much. However, federal employees may lose their jobs or be reprimanded if they participate. The other winners were not identified, nor was the company where they work. To increase the (ridiculously) low odds of winning, office lottery pools are a common strategy. "And then if they each get their own attorney, you've got 15 attorneys who are supposed to agree.". "That way, if the person who's in charge also bought a ticket on their own and it ends up winning, there's a way to prove it wasn't part of the pool," Kurland said. What happens if employees enter an office lottery pool, defy the long odds and win the lottery—most recently at $1.6 billion for Mega Millions and $620 million for Powerball? We get together and buy a ticket and chip in … Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Dustin Uran describes himself as an “eternal optimist.”. A group of 11 co-workers in California were the winners of last month's $543 Mega Millions jackpot, the California Lottery announced Friday. The group – “42 MEGA watts” – has been playing Mega Millions for over six years and won $1 million. “That’s probably why I’m a Vikings fan,” he said. She claims the winning one was bought with her own money. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) Playing the lottery is a game of chance, but someone has to win. If you couldn't get an office lottery pool together in time, you have until Tuesday when the next drawing will occur. The California Lottery says last month’s $543 million Mega Millions jackpot was won by 11 members of an office pool that played on a whim. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox.