Canadian lottery enthusiasts will be glad to learn that they can also participate in the next draw for the popular U.S. game – Mega Millions. On Friday, the main prize for the draw-based game hit the mind-boggling US$1.1 billion or CA$1.4 billion. But with no one able to claim the jackpot, the prize will grow even larger for the next round on August 2, 2022.
Mega Million is a lottery game in the United States which is drawn twice per week, once on Tuesday and once on Friday. The prize has reached the amazing US$1.2 billion, as no one was able to claim it in the last 30 consecutive draws. According to the Associated Press, the odds of guessing correct all six winning numbers are 1 in 302.5 million.
Canadians Can Participate Too
Residents of the Great White North can also join the lottery game ahead of its draw on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. Those who live close to the U.S. border know how easy it is to stop by and purchase a ticket for the draw. Tickets for the draws can be purchased an hour before each drawing. And they can be obtained in 45 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Currently, the only states that do not offer tickets for Mega Millions are Nevada, Utah, Alabama, Hawaii, and Alaska, which can come as bad news for the people in Northern British Columbia or Yukon. However, if lottery fanatics do not feel like travelling south or north, they can simply ask a friend or a family member who lives in the U.S. to buy them instead.
There is also a third option, as numerous third-party services offer to buy lottery tickets for an individual in exchange for a fee. Nevertheless, the lottery does not advise players to resort to any of those companies as there is a bigger chance of getting scammed. Meaning that people will have to do it at their own risk, says Mega Millions.
And in case a Canadian player happens to win the mega jackpot in the upcoming draw, they must know that it can be claimed only from the same state that the ticket has been purchased. It cannot be claimed through the mail. And there is one more plus for Northerners as Canada does not tax foreign lottery winnings.
Past Mega Millions Winners
Over the course of the last few years, many Americans have hit the bullseye in Mega Millions and have claimed some generous prizes. One of the cases belongs to a Long Island resident who won the amazing US$425 million from the game. Their lucky numbers were 34-44-57-62-70 with the Mega Ball 14 and the mega prize went to the lucky resident of the Town of Oyster Bay.
Another example of a major lotto win from the country is the 47-year-old Richard Wahl who purchased a ticket from a gas station in Riverdale, New Jersey in March 2018. The food production manager won a staggering US$533 million. After the win, Mr. Wahl opted for the cash lump payment which reduced his winning to US$324.6 million.
Source: Mannie, Kathryn “Yes, Canadians can enter the US$1.1 billion Mega Millions lottery. Here’s how”, GlobalNews, July 29, 2022
