The Mega Millions jackpot continues its climb as it increased to $474 million for Friday’s drawing.

A winner tonight would have the choice of taking home the $474 million jackpot as an annuity or $219.4 million in cash.

“What a moment that would be for some lucky North Carolinian to win that life-changing prize,” said Mark Michalko, chief executive officer of the N.C. Education Lottery. “North Carolinians also have a chance at winning a $100,000 prize in a Mega Millions second chance drawing on Oct. 8. so it’s a great time to be a Mega Millions player in North Carolina. Good luck.”

Even though the jackpot remains up for grabs, players are taking home lots of other prizes playing Mega Millions. Tuesday’s drawing produced more than 8,700 winning tickets in North Carolina.

The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 290 million.

Anyone buying a Mega Millions ticket for Friday’s drawing will also get a second chance to win a prize with that ticket. The lottery’s Mega 2nd Chance drawing, scheduled for Oct. 8, offers a top prize of $100,000, five prizes of $10,000, and 35 prizes of $2,500. To enter, use your Mega Millions ticket purchased at a store or online using the lottery’s website at nclottery.com or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. The deadline for entries is Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.

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 NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program helps North Carolinians make the most of their lottery play. Visit ncplaysmart.com to learn about all things lottery, from tips on how odds work to how to enter bonus drawings.