FILE - In this July 1, 2016, file photo, Mega Millions lottery tickets rest on a counter at a Pilot travel center near Burlington, N.C. A lucky player could soon overcome remarkably bad odds to win the ninth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. Numbers will be drawn Friday night, Oct. 12, 2018 for a chance at the estimated $548 million Mega Millions prize. The jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
Republished October 12, 2018 - 4:31 PM
Original Publication Date October 12, 2018 - 10:16 AM
DES MOINES, Iowa - A lucky player could soon overcome remarkably bad odds to win the ninth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
Numbers will be drawn Friday night for a chance at the estimated $548 million Mega Millions prize. The jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million.
It costs $2 to play the game, but the odds of instant wealth aren't good. The chance of matching all six numbers and winning the jackpot is one in 302.5 million.
The $548 million jackpot refers to the annuity option, paid out over 29 years. Most winners opt for cash, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $309 million.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018