$1.15 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot Friday: How To Play In VA

VIRGINIA — One lucky Mega Millions player in Virginia could ring in the new year $1.15 billion richer as the estimated jackpot rises for Friday's drawing.

If a player chooses all the correct numbers, the $1.15 billion prize would be the fifth-largest jackpot in the history of the game, according to the Mega Millions site.

Mega Millions numbers are drawn twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
To be eligible for the jackpot, Virginia players must buy their tickets by 10:45 p.m. Eastern Time Friday under state lottery law.

Jackpots may be paid out over a 30-year annuity, but most people take a lump sum cash payment, which would be $516.1 million for Friday’s drawing. It’s important to remember that winnings are subject to federal taxes and, often, state taxes, as well.

Tickets cost $2. For another $1, players can buy the Megaplier option, which increases their winnings up to $5 million.

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.

There are more than 5,000 retailers in Virginia that sell Mega Millions and other lottery tickets, including:

• 7-Eleven
• CVS
• Wawa
• Giant
• Shoppers
• Royal Farms
• Harris Teeter
• Wegmans
• Safeway
• BP
• Shell
• Exxon
• Speedway
• Food Lion
• Walmart

Many restaurants, bars and other businesses also sell lottery tickets. You can search the Virginia Lottery site for retail sales sites.

Don’t forget that if you win a Virginia Lottery prize, it’s not a secret. With some exceptions, prizes greater than $600 are public record. If you win a large prize, your name and photo might be posted on the Virginia Lottery website and possibly reported in news media.

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.