As Friday's Mega Millions drawing draws near, local folks reveal how they would spend their mega bucks

One of the nation's biggest lottery prizes got a little bigger Thursday as the Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.1 billion.

The increase ahead of Friday night's drawing makes the jackpot the third largest, behind $1.5 billion prizes won in 2018 and 2016.

The Mega Millions prize has grown so large because it has been more than three months since anyone matched the game's six numbers and snagged the jackpot. That amounts to 29 consecutive drawings without a winner.

Before rushing out to spend $2 on a ticket, keep in mind that the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are a staggering 1 in 302.5 million.

The $1.1 billion prize is for players who get their winnings through an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners take the cash option, which for Friday's drawing is an estimated $648.2 million.

On Thursday, the Chronicle asked its Facebook page followers: If you haven't already bought a ticket, do you plan to? And, if you win, how would you spend the money?

Here's how some people answered:

Philip Van de Walker: "With that kind of money I could splurge and fill my gas tank all the way up."

Alicia Manfredi: "Definitely buying a ticket and would spend (the money) helping families in need of housing. Times are tough for everyone these days."

Krista Gonzalez: "Our office has pooled money together to play. I'd retire and buy a second home in Germany."

Nicole Rice: "Buying a ticket. I'd pay off my medical bills from my brain surgery (over 500k), pay off all our loans/debts, start college funds for my boys, help out my family/friends who are struggling, donate a few million to each of the following charities: the VA coalition to help homeless vets, battered women/children shelters, animal shelters, and cancer charities. Then I'd put the rest up in savings."

Britton Durbin: "Buying a ticket. If I win, I'll buy all the billboards in the county and put up bad dad jokes."

Crystal Grooms: "I'd buy that private island."

Samantha Rochelle: "Well, with that much money, I would pay off my debt. Buy a house. Give to charity and certain organizations in Citrus County. Give each of my closest family and friends $1 million each, possibly more. Pay off layaway for Christmas for random people. Put some away in each of my children's accounts for college and their first home. And save the rest for when I have grandbabies or for friends who need help in the future."

Crystal MacGinnis: "I got two. First thing I would do would be to cover the medical bills of my child's nana, Sharon Munroe, who is battling Stage 4 cancer. Then I would build our dream home: my folks theirs, my sister hers, my brother his."

Dale Merrill: "Would immediately set up a trust and a foundation. Would buy an oceanfront home on the coast of Maine and hire a caretaker for it. Would buy the building for our local Doctors' Free Clinic so we could save the lives of our local residents who can't afford health insurance ... and would immediately hire armies to gather signatures to get an amendment to the FL constitution requiring this state to create a department of mental health and substance abuse, which would be fully funded, and put an end to the current system of nonprofit mental health and substance abuse (organizations) that are unable to solve the problem."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.