As the Mega Millions jackpot soars to nearly $1 billion, excitement builds across the nation. Could this Friday's draw crown a local winner? Discover the odds, recent winners and taxes that come with the winnings.

The Mega Millions jackpot reached nearly a billion dollars for the eighth time in the game’s history after no winners were announced in Tuesday night's drawing.

According to a Mega Millions news release, Friday's drawing will be the eighth largest jackpot since the game began in 2002. It is also the 40th drawing of this current run, and the jackpot is the largest since it reached $1.269 billion on December 27, 2024, when someone in California scored the winning numbers.