Mega Millions Jackpot Climbs to $415 Million

There was no winner in Tuesday’s Mega Millions game, which means that the July 1 jackpot drawing has climbed to an estimated $415 million, according to officials.

That makes tonight's prize the third-largest jackpot in the history of the Mega Millions game and the largest since 2013, according to officials.

Winning numbers will be drawn at 11 p.m. ET. Visit the Mega Millions website check your numbers.

A March 2012 Mega Millions jackpot of $656 million held the record for the largest lotto jackpot in U.S. history until three winners split the almost $1.6 billion prize in the Jan. 13, 2016, drawing. Mega Millions has awarded 10 jackpots of more than $300 million.

The odds of picking the correct numbers on five white balls and one yellow ball are one in 259 million.

Mega Millions is played in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The one-time cash payout option for Friday, if you win, is estimated at $286 million.

For a list of lottery locations in the state of Virginia, check out this link.. Tickets cost $1 each.

No matter how many people play Mega Millions, the chances of winning never change. The chances of winning are based on the amount of number combinations, not the number of players buying tickets, say lottery officials. The Mega Millions game is played by selecting five numbers out of 75 choices (the numbers from 1 to 75), and by selecting one extra number from 1 to 15 (that's the Mega Ball).

CNN explains the tax implications of winning the big prize:

Lottery winnings are taxed like income, and the IRS taxes the top income bracket 39.6%. The government will withhold 25% of that before the money ever gets to the winner. The rest has to be paid at tax time. Then there are local taxes. Of the 44 U.S. states that participate in Powerball, all but a handful will take an additional cut of the money, according to lottery statistics site USA Mega.