New Yorkers have a shot at winning a massive billion-dollar jackpot tonight, but can you buy a ticket with a credit card? No one has won the jackpot, so tonight's drawing is for $1.1 billion or a cash option of $576.8 million.

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Does New York Allow People To Buy Lottery Tickets With A Credit Card?

You might be short on cash and want to buy some tickets with a credit card, but is it allowed?

According to Motley Fool, some states do not allow people to use their credit cards to purchase lottery tickets,

In many states, you aren't legally allowed to use a credit card to buy lottery tickets. There are laws that specifically prohibit merchants from accepting credit cards for these purchases.

New York is actually one state that does permit lottery ticket purchases with a credit card, according to Motley Fool. It's not a 100 percent guarantee that you can use your card to buy a ticket, as your credit card issuer may have a rule against it or they may treat it as a cash advance.

If you are already spending the money you won from tonight's drawing in your head, you might be wondering what the difference is (aside from the amount) between an annuity and a cash payout.

Here's the difference between an annuity payout and a cash payout:

The Mega Millions annuity is paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Each payment is 5% bigger than the previous one. This helps protect winners’ lifestyle and purchasing power in periods of inflation. A one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.

Mega Millions Jackpot Nearly 1 Billion Dollars
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The winning numbers for the last drawing, on Friday, January 6, 2023, were 3, 20, 46, 59, and 63 for the white balls and lucky 13 for the gold ball. Five players won $1 million with winners from FL, MD, NJ, and two from here in NY.

Mega Millions Jackpot Is Now Fifth Biggest In History

The jackpot has been growing since October 14, the last time it was won. Winners who bought tickets in California and Florida split the $502 million prize. According to the Associated Press, there have been 4 jackpots bigger than tonight's (only two Mega Millions jackpots):

1. Nov. 8, 2022 - $2.04 billion jackpot, Powerball Drawing
2. Jan. 13, 2016 - $1.586 billion jackpot, Powerball Drawing
3. Oct. 23, 2018 - $1.537 billion jackpot, Mega Millions Drawing
4. July 29, 2022 - $1.337 billion jackpot, Mega Millions Drawing

Since Mega Millions began in May 2002, there have been 11 winning jackpots of $500 million or more, including three that exceeded $1 billion. The current record jackpot is $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on October 23, 2018.

The last jackpot winner in New York was on March 8, 2022, when Herman Kahan of Brooklyn won $128 million ($85.8 million cash).

The next drawing for the Mega Millions will be tonight, Tuesday, January 10, at 11 pm.

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