A Mega Millions ticket is seen as an individual makes a purchase order inside a comfort retailer, Aug. 7, 2023, in Kennesaw, Ga.

Mike Stewart/AP

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Mike Stewart/AP

A Mega Millions ticket is seen as an individual makes a purchase order inside a comfort retailer, Aug. 7, 2023, in Kennesaw, Ga.

Mike Stewart/AP

The profitable numbers for an almost $1 billion Mega Millions lottery prize might be drawn Friday night time, providing sudden riches to any fortunate participant who matches them and virtually sure disappointment for everybody else.

Since three months have handed and not using a winner, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $977 million. That giant prize displays the extremely lengthy odds of profitable the jackpot, because the longer the stretch and not using a winner, the extra the prize grows.

The jackpot ranks because the tenth largest in U.S. lottery historical past — about half the dimensions of a document $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022.

How do I play?

Players can purchase tickets for $2 and choose six numbers from separate swimming pools. Five of the alternatives come from one pool, with totally different numbers from 1 to 70, and the opposite is for the Mega Ball, with numbers from 1 to 25. Some states additionally give gamers the choice of paying extra for various choices that enhance payouts or give individuals additional units of numbers.

People can choose their very own numbers — and a few play the identical numbers every time — however most gamers go for the fast choose choice, which lets a pc generate random numbers.

Mega Millions holds drawings twice every week, at 11 p.m. EDT on Tuesday and Fridays, telecast from a tv studio in Atlanta. The numbers are additionally shortly posted on the sport’s web site.

How a lot would I win?

Lots, however possible lots lower than you may assume.

First, that is as a result of the marketed jackpot of $977 million is for a sole winner who’s paid through an annuity, with an preliminary fee after which annual checks for 29 years. Nearly all winners really favor a money payout, which for Friday night time’s drawing could be an estimated $461 million — lower than half the quantity splashed throughout billboards and in neon adverts at comfort shops.

Before forking over the cash, lottery officers additionally would deduct 24% for federal taxes. The final tax bill might finally be increased although, as among the winnings may very well be topic to the highest federal tax bracket of 37%. State taxes additionally may very well be assessed, relying on the place a participant purchased the profitable ticket.

There is also an opportunity that a couple of individual will purchase a profitable ticket — as in 2016, when there have been three winning tickets for a $1.6 billion lottery jackpot. Whatever the jackpot quantity, it may very well be divvied into smaller prizes.

So what are the chances?

Focusing on the quantity of a jackpot prize misses the better level — that you simply virtually actually won’t win.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, and it is these low odds that allow the sport to trundle alongside and not using a winner for months. If the chances had been higher, individuals would win jackpots extra ceaselessly, so the highest prizes would not develop so giant — and entice so many individuals to play. In truth, Mega Millions lengthened its odds in 2019 so as to create greater jackpots.

During the present stretch, there hasn’t been a jackpot winner since Dec. 8, 2023. That’s 29 consecutive drawings with out somebody matching all of the numbers.

That mentioned, lottery officers word there have been thousands and thousands of profitable tickets throughout that span, with prizes starting from $2 to $1 million. The key, they are saying, is to play for enjoyable and take an opportunity to dream just a little, however not with an expectation of getting wealthy.

And in fact, finally somebody will win the jackpot.

Who runs the video games?

Mega Millions and Powerball, the opposite massive lottery recreation, are run individually however each are overseen by state lotteries. Mega Millions is performed in 45 states in addition to Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball additionally operates in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The video games do not function in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.

Both of the video games increase cash for the jurisdictions the place they function together with earnings from different lottery video games, similar to scratch tickets. Some states shift the cash into their common funds whereas others use it for particular functions, similar to funding faculty scholarships or state parks.