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Advice for joining Mega Millions pools with a group

PITTSBURGH -- When the lottery jackpot gets high, like Friday's record-setting Mega Millions drawing, co-workers often pool their money for a better shot at winning. However, that can create problems when it comes time to dividing the jackpot. Target 11 Consumer Investigator Robin Taylor discovered what you should agree to.

If you're lucky enough, your numbers will come up, but that's when the squabbling could begin if you're in an office pool and you haven't decided how the money will be divided up.

Tempers can flare, especially if someone gets greedy and wants the winnings all to him or herself. Problems can also arise if someone bought multiple lottery tickets, some for themselves and some for the office pool.

Advice from lottery officials outlines what to do so that everyone gets their fair share.

  1. Make sure everyone knows what the rules are by putting them in writing.
  2. Agree on what happens when a regular pool participant is absent the day the money is collected.
  3. Everybody should have photocopies of the tickets, including the serial numbers on the back of the tickets.
  4. Find out where the tickets were purchased and when.

Here’s one piece of advice the lottery commission doesn't offer. What the boss should do on Monday when the office pool wins and everyone quits.