The Mega Millions jackpot continues its surge, offering in Friday’s drawing the 10th largest in the 20-year history of the game at $480 million.

A North Carolina winner on Friday would have the choice of taking the $480 million as an annuity or $276 million in cash.

“Whenever you start talking about a top 10 jackpot in Mega Millions history, you know it’s going to be life changing,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “It has been quite a run. If it comes to an end Friday, let’s hope it ends with a North Carolinian holding the winning ticket.”

While the jackpot continues to grow, players in North Carolina continue to win other prizes. Almost 35,000 winning tickets were sold in Tuesday’s drawing.

Other key Mega Millions facts are:
• Four Mega Millions jackpots have been won so far this year, ranging in size from $20 million to $426 million.
• The largest Mega Millions jackpot won so far was $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018.
• The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.

Players can buy Mega Millions tickets at any lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery’s website, www.nclottery.com, or with the lottery’s app, the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

Ticket sales from draw games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.