You can’t win the Mega Millions if you don’t play.
This Friday’s drawing will be the 38th one since there was a six-number winner. This is the longest streak since the game began in 2002, according to the New York Post.
With the jackpot now at an estimated $843 million, it’s starting to feel like some lucky player is due for a win.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most convenience stores, gas stations, supermarkets, and liquor stores sell lottery tickets.
Don’t want to wait at the counter? Many locations offer a vending machine for your convenience.
Unfortunately, for our readers in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, your states do not offer Mega Millions.
If the line is too long, some state lotteries, including those in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, offer tickets online through their websites or apps.
There are also third-party apps, such as Jackpocket, and websites like Jackpot.com that are licensed to sell tickets. However, if you purchase a ticket from another state, you must be physically present in that state and meet its legal age requirement to collect the prize.
Many winners pay off their debts, but they also buy a new home or car, or go on an extravagant vacation. Some even invest their money in stocks or a trust.
One lucky player claimed a $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot in September. The Alabama resident had an unusual idea for spending her prize.
“I tell you exactly what I’d do with the first $70 million,” she said. “I’d pay off Kalen DeBoer and get him the heck out of the University of Alabama. And then I’d take whatever else it took to get rid of the AD.”
Considering that the Crimson Tide now has a 7-1 record and is 5-0 in the SEC, she may want to consider investing her money elsewhere.