Lottery hopefuls across the country were buying their tickets for the $55 million Mega Millions jackpot up for grabs Tuesday night. The jackpot comes with a cash option of $33 million and the drawing was set for 11 p.m. EST.
During the last drawing on Friday there were two winners who matched the five numbers but not the one yellow ball. Those winners were in Delaware and Massachusetts, but they were one number away from getting the jackpot prize, instead they each one $1 million.
Winning numbers are added to the Mega Millions site shortly after the 11 p.m. drawing and whether there were any winners is announced a few hours later. The drawing for Tuesday night will be broadcast live on WSB-TV and will also be available to stream here:
Anyone who wants a chance at the jackpot can buy a ticket until an hour or two before the drawing is scheduled. The last time to buy a ticket varies from state to state so lottery players should check their local lottery rules before trying to get a ticket.
In order to win, the numbers on the ticket have to match the first five numbers that are drawn in any order. The numbers simply have to match. The final sixth ball does have to match the ball drawn sixth though.
The first five numbers are drawn from a set of balls numbered one through 70 and the last one is chosen from a set of balls numbered one through 25. The chances of winning any prize, which can be worth anything from $2 up to the jackpot is one in 24, according to Mega Millions, and there are nine ways to win.
The Megaplier is an options add-on for those who buy tickets and are willing to spend a dollar extra for a chance at more cash. If a winning ticket holder matches their Megaplier number to the one drawn, numbers two, three, four or five, they multiply their winnings by that much. The Megaplier does not apply to the jackpot prize though.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states as well as in Washington D.C. and the United States Virgin Islands and drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at the same time. Winners in each state have a different amount of time to claim their prize so anyone with a winning ticket should check the details of their home lottery to be sure to cash their tickets in on time.
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Nina was a breaking news reporter. She previously worked at Business Insider, The Boston Globe, and Boston.com.
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