Business & Tech

$1.55B Mega Millions Jackpot Biggest Ever Up For Grabs Tuesday In FL

Whether you are a frequent player or a first-timer, here's what to know about the record $1.55B Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday in Florida.

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Mega Millions, drawn on Tuesday and Friday, has not been won since April. The jackpot Tuesday is $1.55 billion, the largest jackpot in history for this game. The one-time cash payout is expected to be $757 million after taxes.
Mega Millions, drawn on Tuesday and Friday, has not been won since April. The jackpot Tuesday is $1.55 billion, the largest jackpot in history for this game. The one-time cash payout is expected to be $757 million after taxes. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)

FLORIDA — Mega Millions players in Florida are rushing to get tickets as Tuesday’s jackpot is expected to be the biggest yet, and sits at an estimated $1.55 billion.

Whether you are a frequent player or a first-time hopeful, here’s what to know about the Mega Millions draw on Tuesday in New Jersey.

Mega Millions, drawn on Tuesday and Friday, has not been won since April. Lottery officials said Monday the jackpot would be a whopping $1.55 billion.

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The one-time cash payout is expected to be $757 million after taxes, which is the largest jackpot in history for this particular game. If anyone wins, it will also be the third-largest jackpot in history.

To be eligible for drawings, held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time, tickets must have been purchased that day by 10 p.m., under Florida lottery law. A ticket costs $2, with an optional $1 “Megaplier.”

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Players select 5 numbers between 1 and 70, and a Mega Ball number between 1 and 25. You can also have the lottery computer randomly select the numbers.

The odds of winning the jackpot are pretty low — about 1 in 302.6 million. You have a better chance of dying in a plane crash or lightning strike. But the odds of winning smaller prizes ranging are significantly better: the odds of winning $1 million are about 1 in 12.6 million.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

There are about 13,000 retailers in Florida that sell Mega Millions and other lottery tickets. You can search the Florida Lottery site for retail sales sites.

Top 10 U.S. Lottery Jackpots In History

  1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022
  2. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016
  3. $1.55 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023 (anticipated)
  4. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018
  5. $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023
  6. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022
  7. $1.050 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021
  8. $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019
  9. $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017
  10. $754.6 million, Powerball, Feb. 6, 2023

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