An $810M Mega Millions Jackpot Is Up For Grabs & Here's How To Play For A Record Prize
You don't even need to be a U.S. resident 👀
A Mega Millions lottery ticket.
The U.S. Mega Millions jackpot is absolutely ridiculous right now, and there's a chance that someone will take home a whopping $810 million in Tuesday night's prize draw.
Will that someone be you?
Let's be honest: it probably won't. But at $2 a ticket, it's still a long, long, long shot at a life-changing amount of cash.
This Tuesday's Mega Millions lottery prize is now the fourth-highest in U.S. history, and buzz is picking up ahead of the big draw.
Mega Millions will draw numbers at 11 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, and someone will either claim the cash or we'll go back to dreaming of an even bigger jackpot next time.
And you don't even need to be an American to play. According to the Mega Millions website, visitors to the U.S. are free to play the game if they're in one of the 45 states (plus Washington, D.C.) where tickets are sold.
That means that a tourist from Canada, Mexico or any other country could potentially claim Tuesday night's prize for the cost of a $2 ticket.
But what would $810 million actually look like?
Like most lotteries, the winner has to pay tax on their winnings. There are also two ways of getting the prize: a lump-sum cash payment or an annual payout.
According to Mega Millions, the cash payout on this jackpot is $470.1 million, but if you're planning to live for another 30 years, you can opt for the annual payout and eventually collect more money over time.
Mega Millions says that these payments go up by 5% over the last payout each time, so you'd be pretty set for the rest of your life with that kind of money rolling in.
So what are the odds of winning the jackpot?
A cool 1 in 303 million, according to the latest data from Mega Millions. That's longer odds than your chances of being hit by lightning, in case you're wondering.
There are also smaller prizes to be won, and there's no guarantee that the big jackpot will be handed out on Tuesday night.
In fact, only four jackpots have been won so far this year, according to Mega Millions. That means that if Tuesday night's draw doesn't produce a winner, we might be looking at an even bigger prize next time.
So if you're not tempted by $810 million, would you change your mind for $1 billion?
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.