Mega Millions lottery

On Friday night, somebody might win the second-largest jackpot ever. Or not. It's probably not going to be you, but what if it is? Here's what you should ...

In California, the names of winners are part of the public record. Others include Delaware, Maryland, Kansas, North Dakota and South Carolina. States differ in what conditions they allow winners to remain anonymous, or whether they can collect in the name of a trust, she said. The federal government will take 24 percent off the top, and you may also owe state taxes. Either choice will catapult you into the top federal income tax bracket, currently 37 percent and scheduled to rise in the future, as Kiplinger noted in this guide for lottery dreamers. Each state that participates in Mega Millions oversees the lottery operations within its jurisdiction, including sales, retailers, taxes owed and other financial liabilities. Not all lottery winners are required to appear at a news conference with a broad grin, holding a giant fake check. Forty-five states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands, participate in the Mega Millions lottery. Friday’s winner could take $747.2 million in a lump sum or choose to take the $1.28 billion payable in annual installments over 30 years. Or perhaps no one will win the jackpot, which is what happened in the 29 previous drawings. The gold Mega Ball eluded them. Tickets can be purchased in person at convenience stores and gas stations. The National Council on Problem Gambling operates a 24-hour help line at 1-800-522-4700.

There's a buying frenzy for the tickets to the July 29 lottery drawing.

Divide the jackpot by the odds of getting the right six numbers and you come up with a $4 answer. You might not know the odds that, if you are a winner, you will be the only one. You probably know the odds of winning—302.6 million to 1.

After three months with no winner, the Mega Millions lottery has swollen to a whopping $1.1 billion, the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

Tickets can be purchased in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are a number of third-party services that will buy lottery tickets for a fee, and they’ve been shown to work in the past. The next draw is Friday night at 11 p.m. EDT and participants have up until about an hour before the draw time to purchase tickets. A similar tactic that Canadians can use if they don’t want to travel to the U.S. is asking a friend or family member in America to buy a ticket on their behalf — provided they trust them not to run off with the winnings! There’s a chance that no one will win the jackpot tonight. For those who live close to the border, the simplest way to purchase a Mega Millions lottery ticket is just by driving down south.

The largest jackpot of any US lottery game was $1.586 billion – a Powerball prize from January 13, 2016, shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee.

Mega Millions jackpots start at $20 million for the annuitized prize and grow based on game sales and interest rates for 30-year US treasuries. There are seven other less valuable prizes that depend on how many and what type of balls a ticket matches. The cash value option of Friday's jackpot is $742.2 million. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. It doesn't necessarily change who you are," he said. "I think it can buy time, which can be invaluable.

Friday's 11 p.m. drawing could lead to a $1.28 billion lottery prize, the second biggest Mega Millions jackpot.

If that’s not enough, a person is at least 216 times more likely to be struck by lightning this year than win the Mega Millions jackpot. The individual state lotteries listed on the Mega Millions website show prospective players where they can purchase their tickets. The Mega Millions numbers will be drawn at 11 p.m. Eastern time. While one player in California matched five numbers on Tuesday, the person did not match the Mega number. “The Mega Millions group, and indeed much of the country, look with anticipation for tonight’s drawing.” The live drawing can be viewed on news stations across the country; New York’s WABC and Philadelphia’s WTXF will be live-streaming the drawing.

The Mega Millions jackpot is now estimated at a whopping $1.28 billion, with a cash value of $648.2 million.

Four Mega Millions jackpots have been won so far this year -- in California, New York, Minnesota and Tennessee. The jackpot has grown to an estimated $1.28 billion -- a cash value of $648.2 million -- after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Tuesday night, according to a press release from Mega Millions. Despite a surge in ticket sales, the odds of winning the big prize remain the same -- 1 in 303 million. For only the third time in the 20-year history of the American lottery game, the big prize has reached the billion-dollar mark. If won, it will be the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history, behind only the record $1.537 billion won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018 -- the world's largest lottery prize ever won on a single ticket. The winning numbers were 67-45-57-36-13 and the Mega ball of 14.

According to the Associated Press, lottery officials expect the prize will grow to $1.7 billion for the next drawing Tuesday if no one wins on Friday. That ...

If a winner wanted to take the lump sum of cash, they would walk away with $747.2 million in cash before taxes. The winning numbers were 67, 45, 57, 36 and 13 with a "Mega Ball" of 14. It remains unclear if any winning tickets were sold.

If no one wins Friday, the prize could potentially grow to $1.7 billion for the Aug. 2 drawing, lottery officials said.

Friday marks the first House vote on an assault weapons ban in nearly three decades. Americans have wagered hundreds of millions of dollars on lottery tickets just in the past two days, catapulting a U.S. lottery jackpot to more than $1 billion for only the fourth time ever. The jackpot for Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing has grown to an estimated $830 million, the lottery game's third largest prize. Mega Millions jackpot grows to $830 million for Tuesday drawing Mega Millions tickets are available to buy online in 10 states and Washington, D.C. Where to buy Mega Millions tickets online The deadline to purchase tickets for Friday's drawing varies by state because Mega Millions tickets are sold by individual lotteries. - There are nine ways to win a Mega Millions prize, ranging from the jackpot down to $2 for only getting the Mega Ball. The $1.28 billion jackpot for Friday's Mega Millions drawing is now the second highest in the lottery game's 20-year history and the nation's third-largest lottery prize. Mega Millions cut-off time: How late to buy tickets How to play Mega Millions Mega Millions tickets for sale in Friday's $1.28 billion drawing

Jackpot for game played in 45 states, DC and the US Virgin Islands is the third-largest lottery prize and the biggest in nearly four years.

Across the US, state lottery systems use lottery revenue to boost education, tourism, transportation and much more. Nearly all jackpot winners choose the cash option, which for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $747.2m. At least one ticket holder has won the prize, the lottery said.

There was one winning ticket in the draw, and it was bought in Illinois. The jackpot was the nation's third-largest lottery prize.

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Information about Friday's jackpot winner or where in Illinois the winning ticket was sold was not immediately available Saturday morning. “We are thrilled to ...

The lottery's jackpots start at $20 million and grow based on game sales and interest rates, according to its website. Otherwise, the nearly $1.34 billion prize will be spread over an initial payment and 29 annual payments. In Illinois, winners of more than $250,000 can ask . Since then, no ticket in twice-weekly drawings matched all six numbers -- which is tough. We don't know whether ... they even know that they won a prize. , securing the third-largest jackpot of any US lottery game and ending a buildup that began when Mega Millions last drew a jackpot winner in mid-April

"We are thrilled to have witnessed one of the biggest jackpot wins in Mega Millions history," Ohio Lottery Director Pat McDonald.

According to the Illinois Lottery, the store that sold the ticket is a pretty big winner, too; it will receive half a million dollars just for selling the ticket. “You can absolutely indulge but let’s be smart about it,” Patel said. “We’re eager to find out who won and look forward to congratulating the winner soon!” “What you’re doing is using analytics to inform your spending.” If the winner loses an unsigned ticket and another person finds it and signs it, the ticket now belongs to them. That’s because if the ticket hasn’t been signed then it really isn’t yours. “You need a manager who specializes in this and understands this world,” said Patel. “Someone making $60,000 a year might need a certain type of professional manager and they may want to switch to someone who does ultra wealth.” Most winners opt for the cash option, which for Friday night’s drawing was an estimated $780.5 million. “I would suggest that you do that before you even set foot in a lottery office,” the national lottery spokeswoman said. That’s 29 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner. A clerk at the Speedway store who answered the phone but declined to give his name said the store has not been officially notified officially that it sold the winning ticket and that he learned about it from reporters calling for comment. According to megamillions.com, there was one jackpot-winning ticket in the draw Friday night, and it was bought at a Speedway gas station and convenience store in Des Plaines.

WASHINGTON — A single winning ticket for a Mega Millions lottery jackpot of $1.28 billion, the second-largest in U.S. history, was sold in Illinois, ...

Most winners go for the lump sum, which comes with a hefty tax bill, according to the Mega Millions website. The holder of the winning ticket, which would have cost $2 to buy, matched all six numbers in Friday’s draw. Winning lottery ticket for $1.28 billion Mega Millions jackpot was sold in Illinois

"We won $2.00 in the Mega Millions lottery. Please respect our privacy as our family decides how to move forward in this pivotal moment."

“Congratulations to the Illinois Lottery for selling the winning ticket for the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot,” Pat McDonald, Ohio's lottery director and lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement. The final value of the jackpot was higher than the estimate based on actual sales, Mega Millions said in a press release Saturday. "We won $2.00 in the Mega Millions lottery.