Nearly everyone opts for cash, which for Tuesday's drawing would be $487.9 million, of which about one-third would go toward federal taxes with possibly more for state taxes, depending on where the buyer lived.Īfter all that, there is a chance that some of the countless people who also plunk down a few bucks for a ticket could hit the winning numbers, meaning the potential jackpot would be divided in half or in thirds.
Considering the hundreds of millions of options, it would be a staggering chore.Įven if someone accomplished that task, keep in mind that the advertised $830 million prize is for the annuity option, paid annually over 30 years. That's because even after coming up with more than $600 million to buy all those $2 tickets, a team of people would need to somehow coordinate their request of each number combination and payment. Since then there have been 28 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner, allowing the prize to grow week after week.Īlthough someone theoretically could buy all the 302.5 million possible number combinations, in practice it would be nearly impossible and would likely be a financial flop. The last time someone beat the staggering odds and won the Mega Millions jackpot was April 15, when a Tennessee player matched all six numbers and snagged a $20 million prize. Kilbane says the jackpot likely would top $1 billion for Friday's drawing. Sales likely will grow even larger if there again isn’t a winner. The additional ticket purchases mean that while 23% of all number combinations were covered for the July 22 drawing, about 33% will be covered for Tuesday’s. And with all the attention on Tuesday's giant prize, lottery officials expect sales to climb to $262.1 million for the drawing. National Mega Millions sales rose from $116 million for the July 19 drawing to $172.1 million for the July 22 drawing, according to Marie Kilbane, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery Commission.