Darron Cummings/AP
- The Mega Millions jackpot may be the game's largest prize ever at an estimated $1.55 billion.
- The next drawing will take place at 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday in Atlanta, Georgia.
- The previous record was set by a 2018 winner who won $1.537 billion.
If someone scores the jackpot in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, they could be walking away with the game's largest winnings to date.
The burgeoning jackpot is estimated to top $1.55 billion, according to a Mega Millions press release. The prize comes with a $757.2 million cash option.
The previous record was set by a 2018 winner in South Carolina, who won $1.537 billion. The Mega Millions company brags that it is the only lottery game to have awarded four jackpots surpassing $1 billion. Powerball, the other big US lottery, has seen three wins surpass $1 billion, though one of those surpassed $2 billion.
"With enthusiastic players across the country, many of whom are newcomers to the game, it is indeed likely that there will be a record Mega Millions jackpot," the press release said. "However, we won't know for sure until we get closer to Tuesday's drawing; at this level, jackpots are hard to predict with complete accuracy."
Drawings for the game take place at 11 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta.
The Mega Millions hype comes weeks after someone snagged a luxurious $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot. The pot expanded again and again after there were 38 consecutive draws with no jackpot winner.
While the odds of winning the lottery may be fewer than getting struck by lightning, people keep coming back for more.