For most U.S. residents, buying a lottery ticket is as simple as going to the corner store. Mega Millions | Michigan Lottery
Update:
The Mega Millions pot is now up to $1.28 billion. The cash option is $747.2 million.
It remains the second-highest amount in Mega Millions history. Friday’s drawing is at 11 p.m. ET (10 p.m. CT) and you can watch here.
Earlier:
For $2 a ticket, you could become a billionaire – or at least really, really rich – after Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing.
For most U.S. residents, buying a lottery ticket is as simple as going to the corner store. People in five states, Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah, must travel to other states to pick up their ticket.
Every state surrounding Alabama sells Mega Millions tickets at numerous locations. You can go here to see a list of places to buy a ticket.
One thing to keep in mind, however. Because the Mega Millions tickets are sold by individual lotteries, any winning tickets must be redeemed in the state in which they were purchased. Lotteries typically have claim-by-mail options for most prize levels, so check with where your ticket is purchased.
The current prize is up to $1.02 billion for a winner opting for yearly payments. The cash option is $602.5 million. The next drawing is Friday, July 29 at 11 p.m. ET (10 p.m. CT).
READ MORE:
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Mega Millions now at $1.02 billion: No winner Tuesday night; when is next lottery drawing?
Raising Cane’s: Did founder win Mega Millions after buying 50,000 tickets? Here’s the answer
Can you buy a Mega Millions ticket online?
Yes, you can buy a Mega Millions ticket online. Sort of.
According to the Mega Millions website:
“If you are in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or the District of Columbia, you may buy Mega Millions tickets online by registering with the lotteries in those jurisdictions. You may also purchase subscriptions for Mega Millions online in New York. In most cases, you must be residents of these jurisdictions to participate in these purchase options, but in all cases you must be physically within their borders when you make any online ticket purchases. Details may be found on those lotteries’ websites (see Where to Play).”
Be careful purchasing tickets online – it’s an area rife with scammers.
No matter where you get your ticket, you might not want to quit your day job just yet. The chances of winning are roughly 1 in 302.5 million.
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