Mega Millions prize tops $500M for 4th time in history

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Lottery players could have a chance of winning the nation's 4th largest lottery prize, as the Mega Millions estimated jackpot climbs to $521 million.

The Friday night drawing will offer players a chance to spend $2 and dream of beating the staggering odds of 302.5 million to one and winning the big prize. Jackpot winners must match all six numbers in a drawing.

The $521 million prize is the annuity option, in which a sole winner is paid over 29 years. A winner opting for the cash prize would take home $301 million, minus state and federal taxes.

No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since January, when a 20-year-old Tampa Bay resident won the prize. Shane Missler from Port Richey won the $450-million jackpot, and opted for the $282-million lump sum payment. Since becoming a millionaire, Missler has kept up his social media accounts but moved out of the Tampa Bay Area.

Mega Millions is one of two national lottery games. It's played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.