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The Mega Millions jackpot approached half a billion dollars for Friday night’s drawing. And lottery players are checking their tickets.
The game’s top prize climbed to an estimated $476 million, with a cash option of $256 million, ahead of Friday’s drawing. No one has one the Mega Millions jackpot since January 31, causing the game’s top prize to grow larger and larger in recent months.
The chances of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are incredibly slim – with odds standing at about 1 in 302 million.
If someone beats the nearly-impossible odds and wins the jackpot on Friday, the estimated $476 million prize would be the 13th largest in Mega Millions history, according to the lottery game.
However, the $476 million would only be distributed the winner chooses the annuity option, which distributes the prize over 29 annual payments. Most lottery winners opt for the one-time, lump-sum cash payment – and the final amount taken home depends on state and federal taxes.
