Powerball grows to $314 million; Mega Millions climbs to $548 million, its 3rd largest ever

After no ticket hit all six numbers Tuesday, the Mega Millions jackpot is expected to grow to $548 million – its third largest ever!

If the winner opts for the cash value, that would mean about $309 million before taxes.

The only higher jackpots in the history of the game were $656 million shared by winners in three states in 2012 and $648 million won in California and Georgia in 2013.

The numbers for Tuesday’s drawing were 20, 22, 39, 54 and 60, plus the Mega Ball 18.

Mega Millions jackpots start out at $40 million and roll over if there is no jackpot winner. Overall odds of winning the jackpot are 1:302,575,350.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Mega Millions jackpot is not the only big jackpot up for grabs this week. The Powerball jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is up to $314 million.

How to Play Mega Millions and Powerball Online and Outside of the US ?

Provided below are the rules for how foreigners can play Mega Millions and Powerball:

•  Tickets for Mega Millions and Powerball are for sale by lottery retailers  in 43 US States, in the District of Colombia and in the U.S Virgin Islands.
• To obtain tickets outside of these jurisdictions, foreigners can use online lottery operators, to locally purchase an official lottery ticket on their behalf.
• All reputable retailers will require you to register and provide billing information before purchasing tickets on your behalf.
• Once the tickets have been bought, the online retailer will make scans of both the official ticket and the receipt.
• To avoid online scams be sure that the site you are using is legitimate. For a comparison of three online retailers already reviewed by InternationalLottery.org read here.
• After the draw, the winning numbers are published online.  Retailers will generally only contact you if you have won.
•  You can then choose to either have the winning ticket sent to you, or to authorize the retailer tocollect the winnings on your behalf.
• If you elect to do the latter, you will then be prompted to verify your identity for security and tax reasons.
• If you win a significant amount or even perhaps the jackpot, it is likely that you will have to personally claim your prize at the local Mega Millions and Powerball office.
• At this time the agent may assist you in making the necessary legal arrangements to collect your prize.

Can Foreigners Win Mega Millions and Powerball?

•  Yes, foreign citizens can legally win Mega Millions and Powerball. 
• The tax for a non-US citizen is a flat 30% of the winnings.
• Additional tax treaties may also apply depending on your citizenship.

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