$1.35 billion up for grabs in Friday’s Mega Millions lottery drawing

KANSAS CITY METRO (KCTV) - Are you feeling lucky this Friday the 13th? Better grab a Mega Millions lottery ticket, because it’s now a Mega “Billions” opportunity.

An estimated $1.35 billion is up for grabs Friday---the second largest prize the Mega Millions has ever seen. It’s also the fourth highest in U.S. history.

It’s going to be tough for someone to walk away with the money, as it’s a 1-in-302-million chance.

Six of the top 10 U.S. Lottery prizes ever will have been won since 2021. Experts say the federal fund rate increase is a reason why the money pot could be going up in recent years.

The winner of the estimated $1.35 billion would only be distributed over an annuity paid over 29 years. What we’ve seen is most winners taking that cash-out option---so the lucky winner, if we have one, could walk away with more than $707 million.

A $1.337 billion ticket was won in Illinois in July, and a $2 billion Powerball prize was won in California last November (the largest lottery jackpot the U.S. has ever seen).

It is Friday the 13th, so that could be an option for you when picking your numbers.