Long queues were reported in stores selling tickets, which are available in 43 US states.

 

The current American jackpot record is $656m - that was split between three winners in 2012.

 

If no winner is picked in Tuesday evening's Mega Millions draw, the total could hit $1bn by Friday.

 

The jackpot was previously² estimated at $586m, but on Tuesday lottery officials increased their prediction due to strong ticket sales.

 

 

Undeterred by odds³ of one in 259 million, large queues of would-be winners formed at petrol stations and convenience stores.

 

If received in a lump cash sum as opposed to an annuity⁴, the total would be $341m, a lottery official reported.

 

"I feel it. I believe. It's Christmas. It's time for believing and I know I'm going to win it," Nesha Isahak told Reuters news agency as she bought her ticket at a newsstand in Manhattan, New York.

 

"I think there's absolutely no way I am going to win this lottery," Tanya Joosten, 39, told the Associated Press news agency in Milwaukee. "But it's hard for such a small amount of money to not take the chance."

 

Not every winner need necessarily face the standard news conference with the bottle of bubbly and chunky（矮胖的） cardboard cheque.

 

Six US states allow lottery winners to remain anonymous⁵: South Carolina, Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota and Ohio.

 

In several other states, it is reportedly possible for winners to keep their names secret by claiming their jackpot through a trust or a limited liability company.

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