Lottery players will have another shot Tuesday night at a massive Mega Millions prize that ranks among the largest jackpots in U.S. history.
The estimated $1.58 billion prize has been gradually building for months thanks to 31 straight drawings without a jackpot winner. The last time someone won the game’s top prize was April 18.
Each drawing without a winner pushes the prize closer to the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot that someone in California won last year. The second largest in size was in 2016, when the Powerball jackpot reached a nearly identical amount of $1.586 billion.
Mega Millions jackpot winners are so rare thanks to odds of one in 302.6 million.
And while there was no big winner, seven Georgia tickets each won $10,000 in Friday’s night’s drawing.
The $1.58 billion payout would go to a winner who opts for an annuity, doled out over 30 years. But people usually prefer a lump sum option, which for Tuesday's jackpot would be an estimated $783.3 million.
The money would be subject to federal taxes. Many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in Georgia, 44 other states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Today’s Mega Millions drawing will be held live from the WSB-TV studios in Atlanta, right before Channel 2 Action News’ “WSB Tonight” at 11 p.m.
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