Mega Millions Jackpot Hits Half a Billion for Tuesday's Drawing

The Mega Millions jackpot swelled to $512 million for Tuesday night's drawing, making it the fifth largest prize in the game's 16-year history.

All it takes to win the pot is $2 for a ticket and having the odds of 1 in 302.6 million in your favor. Players must select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 25. To win the jackpot, players must match all six numbers, but those matching just some can still win prizes. 10 Things That Are More Likely Than Winning the Lottery 10 Things That Are More Likely Than Winning the Lottery

If one person wins the massive jackpot, the cash option would be roughly $303 million. Tuesday night's drawing will take place at 10 p.m. CST.

No one has hit the jackpot since May 4. That $142 million prize was the third winning jackpot this year.

Everyone has a different strategy to win, with experts recommending against quick picks and instead advising players to pick the same numbers every drawing - that way, every time they lose, the odds increase. Jackpot! Biggest Lottery Wins in US History Jackpot! Biggest Lottery Wins in US History

Mega Millions is one of two national lottery games. It's played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The largest jackpot in U.S. history was a $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot won in January 2016 by players in three states. The record prize for Mega Millions was $656 million for the March 30, 2012, drawing, in which there were also three winning tickets from players in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

Let's block ads! (Why?)