The lottery gods are calling, degenerates. Tonight's Mega Millions jackpot sits at $180 million, and someone is going to wake up tomorrow either very rich or very disappointed.

The drawing is at 11 PM ET. You have until then to grab your ticket and dream.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Mega Millions jackpot has grown to $180 million after no winner Friday
• The damage: Cash option is approximately $81 million before taxes
• Why you should care: It's the first big lottery jackpot of 2026
• The move: $2 gets you in the game. The expected value is terrible. Buy it anyway.

The Numbers from Friday

Friday's drawing produced the following results:

Winning numbers: 6, 13, 34, 43, 52 Mega Ball: 4

No one matched all six numbers, which means the jackpot rolls to tonight. One lucky player in Pennsylvania hit the Match 5 prize worth $1 million. That's a nice way to start the year, but it's not the life-changing money.

The jackpot has been building since the last winner hit on December 17. We're approaching that sweet spot where the number gets big enough to generate mainstream attention.

Why Tonight Matters

$180 million isn't the biggest jackpot we've seen, but it's substantial. And it's Monday night, which means:

• Fewer people thinking about lottery tickets
• Potentially better odds of being the sole winner
• Perfect timing to start your year with impossible hope

The Powerball situation is comparatively tame at around $80 million. If you're going to chase lottery dreams, Mega Millions is where the action is right now.

The Math (Which You Should Ignore)

Let's be honest about the expected value calculation: it's negative. The odds of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. Your $2 ticket has an expected value of roughly negative $1.50.

But here's the thing: we don't buy lottery tickets for expected value. We buy them for the dream. For the 48 hours between purchase and drawing where you can imagine what you'd do with $180 million.

That fantasy is worth $2. Maybe $4 if you want to double your nonexistent chances.

What $81 Million Cash Actually Gets You

Let's say you take the cash option at $81 million:

• Federal taxes (37% bracket): ~$30 million gone
• State taxes (varies): ~$5-8 million depending on where you live
• Net after taxes: Roughly $43-46 million

With $45 million, you could:

• Buy a nice house in every city you've ever wanted to visit
• Fund a poker bankroll that would make Phil Hellmuth jealous
• Bet $100,000 on every NFL game for the next decade
• Actually afford those Vegas suite comps you've been faking

It's not $180 million, but it's more than enough to never work again.

How to Play

Mega Millions tickets are available in 45 states plus D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can buy at gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores until about an hour before the 11 PM ET drawing.

Some states allow online purchases. Check your local lottery website if you're too lazy to leave the house.

The drawing happens live, or you can check results after the fact at megamillions.com or any of a thousand lottery apps.

Lottery Strategy (LOL)

There is no strategy. Anyone telling you they have a system is lying or delusional.

Some people play birthdays. Some play Quick Picks. Some have been playing the same numbers for 30 years. None of it matters. The ping pong balls don't care about your patterns.

The only "strategy" that marginally improves your situation: avoid popular number combinations that other people play. If you win, you don't want to split the jackpot seven ways because everyone picked 7-14-21-28-35.

Quick Picks are truly random and probably give you the best shot at a solo win if you hit.

The Powerball Alternative

If Mega Millions doesn't hit tonight, Powerball draws Wednesday with a jackpot around $80 million. The next Mega Millions after tonight is Friday.

The big Powerball winner from Christmas Eve in Arkansas took home $1.8 billion. That jackpot reset and is now building again. These things cycle.

If you're a lottery degen, both games deserve action. It's $4 total for two shots at generational wealth.

The Bottom Line

$180 million is on the line tonight. The odds are terrible. The expected value is negative. The rational play is to save your $2.

But we're not here for rational decisions. We're here for the chaos, the hope, and the tiny chance that tonight changes everything.

Buy your ticket. Pick your numbers or let the machine decide. And spend the next few hours dreaming about what you'd do with fuck-you money.

The drawing is at 11 PM ET. Good luck, degenerates.

May the ping pong balls bounce in your favor.