The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $970 million this week after no ticket matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball on Friday.
That means there’s still a chance — 1 in nearly 303 million — that someone could take home the jackpot prize after the next drawing on Tuesday night.
Even though a person is more likely to get eaten by a shark than win the lottery, it hasn’t deterred Americans from spending more than a few dollars in hopes of becoming rich overnight.
In 2021, Americans spent over $105 billion on lottery tickets. In 2019, the average U.S. adult spent about $320 a year on them.
While lottery systems vary by state, a percentage of the revenue generated from lottery ticket sales is used to fund public programs, like schools, senior centers or infrastructure projects.
It’s worth noting that five states — Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah — don’t have lotteries due to a mix of concerns over the impact on low-income families, gambling addiction or competition with existing gaming operations.
People who buy a lottery ticket may see it as a low-risk investment for a chance to win hundreds of millions of dollars, which can be life-changing — if the right steps are taken.