THE odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are one in 303 million, much higher than the one-in-a-million chance of being struck by lightning, according to US government data.
Overturning these odds, a lottery player in the US state of Florida won a record US$1.58b (A$2.35b) this week, Yahoo News has reported.
"After 31 drawings without a big win, a lucky ticket-holder in Florida will celebrate the summer of 2023 with a record-sized Mega jackpot, currently estimated at $1.58b (A$2.35b)," Mega Millions said in a statement.
The 10-figure jackpot win is expected to set a new record for the game, trumping the previous Mega Millions' top payout of US$1.537b (A$2.4b) won in 2018, the statement said.
The Mega Millions jackpot winner is the first declared since Apr, and if the prize sum is confirmed, it would be the third-largest payout in US lottery history, ABC News reported.
The winner, who has not been identified, can choose to take about US$783m (A$1,223m) in cash up front or receive the full sum, broken into yearly payments over 30 years, which increase by 5% annually.
Most winners choose the lump sum payout, with all winnings subject to income taxes.
The winning numbers on Tue were 13, 19, 20, 32 and 33, plus the gold ball 14.
Two other winners in Florida and North Carolina won $2m (A$3.1m) each.
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