Mega Millions jackpot rises to estimated $681 million for Tuesday’s drawing

An estimated $681 million Mega Millions jackpot is up for grabs Tuesday night.

Here are Tuesday's winning numbers: 12, 41, 43, 52, 55, 9, and a Megaplier of 4x

Tuesday's jackpot will be the seventh-highest lottery jackpot ever. The jackpot also comes with a lump-sum cash option estimated at $337.1 million.

The ticket for the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever, worth $$1.58 billion, was sold on Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.

Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, players have a 1 in 302.6 million chance of taking home the top prize.

And, lottery winnings do not come without taxes. There's a mandatory 24% federal withholding for winnings above $5,000 that goes straight to the IRS; some states tax lottery winnings as well.

“The lesson didn’t really go according to plan.” Math professor Nicholas Kapoor bought a Powerball ticket to demonstrate how improbable it is to win the lottery – and then he won $100,000. Here’s what he wants you to know about playing the Powerball.