Mega Millions Office Pool Tips

It's amazing how quickly our office pool went from a friendly collection for tickets to a formal email and photo copies of all the tickets.   The tickets are now locked up in our HR office.  We have 27 (or is it 28) employees at the radio station.  That would be a big payday for all of us - IF we got really, really, really, really, really, lucky.   I mean the odds are still zero that we'll win.

I did some homework and found these tips from an article written by Rene Lynch of the LA Times.  These are just a few of her suggestions.  Go HERE for the complete list.

From the LA Times...

Designate a leader: Ideally, this person is not Americo Lopes. Instead, it should be someone who is trustworthy, well-organized, has the patience of Job and the ability to rule with an iron fist. This person will be in charge of collecting the money, buying the tickets and keeping the games running smoothly and fairly. In order to avoid any conflicts, the leader must also promise not to buy any personal lottery tickets apart from the pool -- or else let everyone know about any such purchases upfront, before the drawing.

Know the rules: Take the time upfront to decide how the pool will be run, and then put it in writing and distribute copies to everyone. This doesn't have to be overly complicated. Some basics to consider: What's the deadline for collecting cash? Who will hold the tickets? Will play be limited to certain people? What if Bill in accounting is out sick, and has Sara in sales cover for him when the money is being collected? Will they each receive their own share? Or will they have to split a single share? Some of these questions might seem nit-picky, but they could help fend off office drama, hard feelings and lawsuits if the pool strikes it rich.

Know when to break the rules: "If a person is not in the office on the day the lottery ticket money is collected, will that person be excluded from the potential win or will they be considered 'in' because they typically play?" Hedinger said. Anticipating these scenarios in advance -- and how to respond to them -- limits the drama.