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The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to $421 million ahead of Friday’s night’s drawing.
The drawing is scheduled for 11 p.m., after no one won on Tuesday. The jackpot has been growing since January.
The Powerball jackpot has come down to Earth again after a ticket sold in Pennsylvania had all six numbers in last Saturday’s $456.7 million jackpot. The next drawing for the estimated $54 million Powerball jackpot will take place at 10.59 p.m. Eastern time Saturday.
The odds of winning Mega Millions are 1 in nearly 303 million and those for Powerball are about 1 in 292 million. Sadly, you are more likely to die or kill someone while driving 2 miles to buy your Powerball ticket. Or be attacked by a shark.
In both cases, the jackpot is won by correctly picking the numbers on all five white balls drawn (69 choices in Powerball, 70 in Mega Millions) as well as the correct number on the red ball (26 choices in Powerball, 25 in Mega Millions).
Winners can accept the prize in an annuity to be paid out over 29 years, or they can opt for a lump-sum cash payment. Both options have tax implications and consequences for any winner’s long-term financial goals. The lump sum is the current value of the jackpot in cash, which is typically far less than can be earned via the annuity.
Tickets for each lottery start at $2.
Financial advisers have plenty to say about what to do with the winnings: for example, these five must-dos after winning the lottery
Also: Why you still shouldn’t buy any lottery tickets
They also have strong views on not wasting money by buying a lot of tickets, given the slim odds. Some of the biggest buyers of what many describe as a voluntary tax are low-income earners, as MarketWatch has reported. Others make the case that investing in the S&P 500 index SPX, -2.10% and Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -1.77% or other longer-term investments, are better ways to put your money to work.
But few things beat the intrigue of a lottery.
Now read: Want to win the Powerball? These numbers come up more than others