Lotteries

Photo: dennizn (Shutterstock)Saturday’s drawing in the Powerball multi-state lottery has an estimated jackpot of $1.5 billion. That’s the third-largest lottery prize ever in U.S. history.01:25Randall Park's Favorite SuperheroesMonday 5:02PMBut big prizes come with small odds. A player who buys a single ticket for the November 5th Powerball only has a 1 in 292,201,338 chance of winning. You’re way more likely to get hit by lightning.But if you still want to play, there’s a few things you should know that can improve —or…

Will Lester | Medianews Group | Getty ImagesThere's a chance that a Mega Millions player is going to wake up Saturday morning with a $410 million windfall in their lap.That's the advertised jackpot amount for the lottery game's next drawing, set for Friday night. It's the third time this year the top prize has crossed the $400 million mark, but remains far below the $1.34 billion jackpot won in July.Powerball's jackpot isn't far behind for its Saturday night drawing: $378 million.More from Personal Finance:46% of…

Photo: Dominique James (Shutterstock)Tonight’s drawing in the Mega Millions multi-state lottery has an estimated jackpot of $1.1 billion. It’s only the third time in the game’s 20-year history that the jackpot has surpassed a billion dollars (or $648.2 million, if you take the cash option). A player who buys a single ticket with randomly selected numbers only has a 1 in 302,575,350 chance of winning all that money. You’re way more likely to get hit by lightning.But if you still want to play, there’s a few things you…

1. BreatheInstead of impulsively rushing to lottery headquarters to claim your prize, take a deep breath. You have some time to claim your prize — anywhere from three months to a year, depending on where you bought the ticket."Take a pause before you make any big decisions," Irwin said. "This is the quiet period before the chaos."2. Protect your ticket — and your privacyExperts generally recommend signing the back of the ticket, taking a photo of yourself with the valuable slip of paper and then storing it safely in a…

Scott Olson | Getty ImagesIf you manage to beat the odds and land the next Mega Millions jackpot, don't forget that Uncle Sam will snatch a slice of the windfall.The top prize has surged to $790 million for Tuesday night's drawing after no ticket matched all six numbers pulled Friday night. If won at that amount, it would mark the fourth-largest lottery prize ever awarded.And, it would come with a sizable tax bill. Whether the prize is taken as an annuity of 30 payments over 29 years or as an immediate, reduced cash lump…

If you're holding the winning ticket for Powerball's $366.7 million jackpot, don't forget about your silent partner: Uncle Sam.After rolling higher for about two months of three weekly drawings with no winner, the lottery game's top prize was nabbed in Wednesday night's drawing. The ticket was purchased in Vermont, which marks the first time the jackpot has been won in that state. Of course, the advertised amount isn't what the winner will end up with. Whether the prize is taken as an annuity of 30 payments over 29 years…

It looks like a Mega Millions player is about to join the ranks of lottery winners who end up missing out on a windfall.A ticket purchased in Lewisville, North Carolina, and worth $1 million will expire Thursday at 5 p.m. The amount is a second-tier prize for matching five out of the six numbers that were pulled in the lottery game's Dec. 31 drawing."Sometimes people leave their tickets in a night stand, the glove compartment of their cars and trucks, or tucked away in a wallet," said Mark Michalko, executive director of…