Mega Millions Jackpot Hits Third-Largest In Game's History $830M

MASSACHUSETTS — Already planning your new life after hitting the jackpot in Tuesday night's Mega Millions lottery game? It's now up to $830 million, making it the fourth-largest jackpot in U.S. history - never mind the Bay State and the third-highest in the history of the game.

The drawing will be at 11 p.m. Tuesday night. Mega Millions tickets can be purchased up until 10:45 p.m. at Mass Lottery retailers throughout the state in gas stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets.

There is no Mega Millions broadcast partner in Massachusetts, but players can see the winning numbers through the Mega Millions website.

The jackpot has been growing since April, the last time it was claimed. It was $20 million then. So far this year, Mega Millions jackpots have been won in California, New York, Minnesota and Tennessee.

The actual chances of winning are slim - about 1 in 302.5 million. The odds of winning one of the smaller prizes, including the $1 million to players who match five regular numbers but miss the Mega Ball, are better, but still only 1 in 12.6 million. For perspective, the odds of being struck by lightning are less than 1 in 1 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tickets cost $2 per play, and there are nine total ways to win a prize. To win the jackpot, you must match all six winning numbers in the drawing.

Winners can take an annuity — an immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments, each of which increases 5 percent in value over the previous payment — or take a one-time, lump sum payment. With an $830 million jackpot, that's still $487.9 million.

The largest lottery jackpot in history ($1.586 billion) was split between Powerball players in California, Florida, and Tennessee on Jan. 13, 2016.

The largest Mega Millions prize ($1.537) was claimed in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018, and the second largest was claimed on Jan. 22, 2021 by a player in Michigan, winning $1.05 billion.