The cost of a Mega Millions lottery ticket will soon more than double, but officials said they’re confident players won’t mind paying more after changes that will lead to larger prizes and more frequent winners.

The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to an estimated $800 million with a cash option of $401.8 million.

If you buy a ticket -- or have some from recent drawings -- there is a simple way to check them without waiting in line at the grocery store.

Before you chip in to your office pool -- or start one yourself -- there are some important do’s and don’ts to remember.

In this special report we are joined by a mathematician to look at the best possible way to increase your odds of winning scratch off tickets

Someone in the River City is $1 million richer after playing the Mega Millions.

Someone in New Jersey who bought a single ticket overcame the odds and won the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless streak that dated to last December.

The Powerball jackpot has increased to an estimated $865 million after yet another drawing without a big winner, continuing a winless streak that dates to New Year’s Day.

The winning numbers for a nearly $1 billion Mega Millions lottery prize will offer sudden riches to any lucky player who matches them and almost certain disappointment for everyone else.

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $977 million for Friday night’s drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night.

For the second week in a row, the Florida Lottery announced a winning Mega Millions ticket had been sold at a Jacksonville area Publix.

Two days before a Neptune Beach Publix made national headlines for selling the winning $1.58 billion Mega Millions ticket, the store attracted the unwanted attention of an armed robbery suspect, according to police.

The winning ticket in Tuesday’s $1.58 billion Mega Millions drawing was sold at a Publix in Neptune Beach.

A single lottery ticket sold in Florida has won a $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

There is no mystery why the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to $1.55 billion, making it the third-largest ever.

Another Mega Millions drawing, another night without a jackpot winner.

The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds and won the massive lottery prize.

If it seems like lottery jackpots topping $1 billion are more common nowadays, it's because they are.

The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.05 billion after no one took home the $940 million top prize.

The Mega Millions lottery jackspot is approaching $1 billion ahead of Friday’s drawing.

The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $910 million after a drawing without a winner extended a stretch of bad luck dating back to April.

Lottery dreamers are setting their sights on the growing Mega Millions jackpot now that a ticket worth more than $1 billion finally has been sold for the Powerball lottery.

Your chances of winning the lottery are extremely slim — even as more and more eye top prizes soaring to jaw-dropping heights.

The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to an estimated $720 million after no winning ticket was sold — again.

The Mega Millions top prize has grown again to an estimated $640 million after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot.

Convenience stores are swamped as the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots soar to some of their largest in the history of the games.

Winning the lottery is actually a curse? It has been the case for many winners.

The winner of a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot has come forward to collect the prize.

Maine scored its first Mega Millions jackpot when a ticket purchased in the state matched the winning numbers for the lottery’s estimated $1.35 billion grand prize.

Mega Millions players will have another chance to end months of losing and finally win a jackpot that has grown to $1.35 billion.

The Mega Millions prize has grown again to an estimated $1.35 billion after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot.

Thinking of lining up at the mini-mart for a shot at a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

The Mega Millions prize has grown again to an estimated $1.35 billion after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot.

After nearly three months of lottery losing, will someone finally break the trend and win a $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

An estimated $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawing has people lined up at convenience stores across the country to buy tickets.

Lottery players whose numbers didn't hit or who forgot to even buy a ticket will have another shot at a nearly $1 billion Mega Millions prize.

Friday night’s Mega Millions Jackpot is flirting with $1 billion at $940 million. A portion of the money from the lottery goes to education.

Call it the Golden Age of lottery jackpots.

The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $940 million after another drawing resulted in plenty of losers but not a single grand prize winner.

An estimated $785 million Mega Millions jackpot will give lottery players a chance to start the new year with a lucrative bang.

The prize has rolled over 22 times since October.

There is still a chance to start 2023 as a multi-millionaire.

The first Mega Millions drawing of the new year will be a big one after no one won an estimated $685 million jackpot.

Lottery players will have a chance to ring in the New Year with a $685 million bonus in their bank account as a drawing is held in the Mega Millions game.

A giant Mega Millions jackpot has grown larger to an estimated $640 million after another drawing without a winner.

Someone could win more than half a billion dollars in the Mega Millions lottery Tuesday, but that jackpot wouldn't even rank in the top 10 as the prizes have grown bigger in recent years.

The holiday shopping season — for Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers, at least — is ramping up as officials say the estimated jackpot for Tuesday night’s drawing has surpassed half a billion dollars.

Friday night’s Mega Millions jackpot -- the 11th largest in the lottery’s history -- could turn into the perfect early Christmas present for someone.

A winning lottery ticket worth a share of a $494 million Mega Millions jackpot was purchased in a southwest Florida city hammered by Hurricane Ian late last month.

They didn’t hit the big jackpot, but five Mega Millions players in Florida still managed to win at least $1 million from the Friday drawing.

A giant Mega Millions lottery jackpot got even larger as officials raised the massive prize to $1.28 billion on Friday, just hours before the drawing.

There’s more than a billion dollars on the line for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing.

After handing out 99 lottery tickets to excited listeners last week, 99.9 Gator Country was at it once again Friday hoping to help one of its loyal listeners hit the jackpot.

You bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket and have been dreaming of how you’ll spend $1.28 billion.

At over $1 billion, the Mega Millions jackpot is among the largest lottery prizes ever up for grabs.

One of the nation’s biggest lottery prizes has grown a little bigger as the Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.1 billion.

Now that the Mega Millions lottery jackpot has topped $1 billion, plenty of people who rarely play the game are considering risking $2 or joining an office pool in hopes of an immense payoff.

Lottery players will be gripping their tickets tightly ahead of the upcoming Mega Millions drawing with an estimated $830 million prize on the line.

A giant Mega Millions lottery jackpot ballooned to $1.02 billion after no one matched all six numbers and won the top prize.

The chances are steadily rising that someone will win the massive $830 million Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night, but will it be you.

With Mega Millions fever sweeping the country, lottery pools are flooding offices nationwide. But before you either chip in or organize an office pool, here are some do's and don'ts to consider.

Is $810 million worth $2.

Lottery officials have raised the Mega Millions grand prize to $790 million, giving players a shot at the nation’s fourth largest jackpot.

Lottery officials have raised the Mega Millions grand prize to $660 million, giving players a shot at the nation’s ninth largest jackpot.

Lottery officials have raised the Mega Millions grand prize to $660 million, giving players a shot at the nation’s ninth largest jackpot.

He purchased the winning Quick Pick ticket at Winn-Dixie, located at 6060-10 Fort Caroline Road in Jacksonville.

In this Feb. 26, 2021, photo provided by the Michigan Lottery, attorney Kurt Panouses poses with a check on behalf of the winners of a Mega Millions lottery jackpot in Lansing, Mich. Four people in a suburban Detroit lottery club have won a $1.05 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot and will share $557 million after taxes. (Michigan Lottery via AP)DETROIT – A four-member suburban Detroit lottery club won a $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot and will receive $557 million after taxes, officials said Friday. After taxes, the $776 million payment was reduced to about $557 million, the Michigan Lottery said. The $1.05 billion jackpot was the largest in Michigan Lottery history and the third-largest in the United States. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The jackpot for the Mega Millions lottery game has grown to $1 billion ahead of Friday night's drawing after more than four months without a winner. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)DES MOINES, Iowa – Someone in Michigan bought the winning ticket for the $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot, which is the third-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The winning ticket was purchased at a Kroger store in the Detroit suburb of Novi, the Michigan Lottery said. The Mega Millions top prize had been growing since Sept. 15, when a winning ticket was sold in Wisconsin. Three tickets for a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot were sold in January 2016, and one winning ticket sold for a $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in October 2018.

A patron, who did not want to give his name, uses the lottery ticket vending kiosk at a Smoker Friendly store to purchase tickets for the Mega Millions lottery drawing, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Cranberry Township, Pa. The jackpot for the Mega Millions lottery game has grown to $1 billion ahead of Friday night's drawing after more than four months without a winner. It’s only the third time a lottery jackpot has grown so large, but much has changed since the last time such a big prize was up for grabs in 2018. After a peak in October 2018, Medenica said sales of the big lottery games dropped about 50%, prompting talk among lottery officials about jackpot fatigue. It’s hard to fathom how unlikely it is to beat odds of one in 292.2 million for Powerball or one in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.

Just who will collect the Powerball prize may never be known: Maryland is one of the states that allow winners to remain anonymous. The Powerball jackpot came only a day after nobody won the $970 million Mega Millions prize, the third-largest prize in U.S. history. The biggest prize was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $716.3 million and $546.8 million for Wednesday's Powerball. After the Powerball win, the new jackpot has a $15 million cash value.

The Powerball jackpot is the fifth-largest ever, and it will come only a day after nobody won the even-larger Mega Millions prize, which now stands at $970 million. The biggest prize was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016. Such a long stretch without a winner is rare but also reflects the incredibly small odds of winning — one in 292.2 million for Powerball and one in 302.5 million for Mega Millions. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $716.3 million and $546 million for Powerball. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If somehow you manage to take home the grand prize in both Mega Millions and Powerball, that’s a nearly $1.6 billion jackpot. If you choose to take the cash option -- you’re looking at a cool $1.1 billion or so. The Tuesday night Mega Millions drawing is the second-largest prize in the game’s history. The world record Powerball jackpot is the $1.586 billion drawing on Jan. 13, 2016, and the current Mega Millions record of $1.537 billion was drawn on Oct. 23, 2018. The jackpots listed by the lotteries are for winners who opt to be paid through an annuity over 30 years.

If a lottery player strikes big in the next Powerball drawing on Wednesday, it would be the fifth-largest jackpot ever in the United States. No one beat the odds in Friday's Mega Millions drawing, so that jackpot grew to an estimated $850 million. It's been nearly two years since a lottery jackpot has grown so large. The estimated cash prize for the next Mega Millions jackpot is $628.2 million. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Going into Saturday, there was over $1 billion total up for grabs between Saturday’s Powerball drawing and the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday. I would put a down payment on a house, if not pay for the whole house, I guess with that amount of money.”The Mega Millions jackpot is at $850 million before taxes, while the Powerball jackpot was at $640 million. There are many things that a person can buy, like a private island to party or just take a quick vacation. Or if you love Shad Khan’s yacht, you could buy one just like it for $200 million. It just costs you a couple dollars.”There are a million and one people things you can do if you win the jackpot, but the biggest problem would probably be saving money as a new millionaire.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, a customer shows off a Mega Millions lottery ticket after purchasing it, in Orlando, Fla. The next drawing for Mega Millions is Friday night, when a $750 million prize will be up for grabs. The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday night, when an estimated $750 million prize will be up for grabs. The drawing for an estimated $640 million Powerball jackpot will be Saturday night. Your odds of winning either jackpot is exceedingly small, at 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.

Two lottery jackpots, the Mega Millions and Powerball, are each holding prize winnings for more than half a billion dollars. The Mega Millions stands at $750 million making it the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history. The largest-ever was when a ticket holder won more than $1.5 billion in South Carolina in 2019. With two life-changing prizes at stake again, people across the country are buying a ticket for a chance to win. The Powerball drawing is Saturday and the Mega Millions is Friday.

A billboard advertises the jackpots of the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing were: 4-19-23-25-49 and a Powerball of 14. The Powerball prize drawing was only a day after no one won a $625 million Mega Millions jackpot, causing that prize to grow to $750 million ahead of the next drawing on Friday night. The Mega Millions prize is now the fifth-largest in U.S. history. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A billboard advertises the jackpots of the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing were: 4-19-23-25-49 and a Powerball of 14. The Powerball prize drawing comes only a day after no one won a $625 million Mega Millions jackpot, causing that prize to grow to $750 million ahead the next drawing on Friday night. The Mega Millions prize is now the fifth-largest in U.S. history. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Lottery players have a chance to win the largest jackpots in nearly two years as Tuesday's Mega Millions has grown to an estimated $625 million and Wednesday's Powerball to an estimated $550 million. The Mega Millions $625 million jackpot is the largest lottery prize in nearly two years. The winning numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing of the Mega Millions game were: 12-14-26-28-33, Mega Ball: 09. Nearly all jackpot winners actually take the cash option, which would be an estimated $458.8 million for Mega Millions and $411.4 million for Powerball. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A digital billboard in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, shows jackpots for the Mega Millions and Powerball games. Lottery players have a chance to win the largest jackpots in nearly two years as Mega Millions has grown to $600 million and Powerball has climbed to $550 million. The projected Mega Millions grand prize is the eighth largest in U.S. history, and the Powerball jackpot is the 12th biggest. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million, and the chances are even worse for Mega Millions at one in 302.5 million. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Mega Millions and Powerball are now at more than $400 million each -- and that’s only ever happened twice before. Her net worth is about 400 million, but you have to win both jackpots to be worth as much as Tiger Woods. The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $447 million on Tuesday and the Powerball jackpot rolled to an estimated $410 million on Saturday. In terms of toilet paper... with $400 million you can buy more than 32 million 12-pack rolls. Chances of winning the mega millions?

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesAUSTIN, Texas - If you bought a lottery ticket in Texas, it's time to check it -- because someone out there is $227 million richer. Some mystery winner has the jackpot-winning ticket for the Mega Millions that was drawn on Tuesday, the Texas Lottery announced. This winner will take home the largest prize payout to a single Texas Lottery player in history, the commission announced. They are also the 13th Mega Millions jackpot winner since the game started in October 2016. "We look forward to meeting Texas' newest millionaire and we are excited to have another Mega Millions jackpot winner here in Texas," said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery, in a statement.

One lucky winner in the Granite State hit the $168 million Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night. If the winner lacks the patience for annual installments over 30 years, he or she can choose the $108.5 million cash option. A whopping 612,456 other tickets won some kind of prize in Tuesday's drawing, the Mega Millions organization said. And eight tickets that didn't hit the jackpot are still worth $1 million. The lucky Mega Millions white balls were 1, 4, 23, 40 and 45, and the gold Mega Ball was 11.