$346 million wasn't enough to produce a winner. Now it's $366 million, and climbing. Friday night's Mega Millions drawing came and went without anyone matching all six numbers, which means the jackpot for Tuesday's drawing has ballooned to $366 million with a cash option around $165 million. The lottery gods are hungry, and they won't be satisfied until they've taken your money at least three more times.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: No winner in Friday's $346M Mega Millions drawing—jackpot grows to $366M
• The damage: Cash option ~$165M before taxes. After Uncle Sam? Roughly $95-110M depending on your state.
• Why you should care: We're on a march toward $400M if nobody hits Tuesday
• The move: Buy your tickets early Tuesday. Lines at gas stations get stupid when the number has a 3 and six zeros after it.

Friday's Numbers

The winning numbers from Friday, February 6 were: 13, 21, 25, 52, 62 with Mega Ball 19.

If you had those numbers, you wouldn't be reading this. You'd be on a beach somewhere deleting your bookie's number. But you didn't have them, and neither did anyone else, which is why we're doing this again in three days.

Friday's drawing was a letdown for anyone who loaded up on tickets hoping to cash in at $346 million. But the silver lining—if you're the glass-half-full type of degenerate—is that the pot just got $20 million sweeter. That's not nothing. That's enough to buy a small island and still have money left over for a lifetime of bad sports bets.

The Growth Trajectory

This jackpot has been building steadily:

• Tuesday, Feb 4: $323 million
• Friday, Feb 6: $346 million
• Tuesday, Feb 10: $366 million (estimated)

We've been tracking this climb since the $346M drawing, and the pattern is clear. Each rollover adds $20-25 million. If nobody wins Tuesday, we're looking at $390 million or more for Friday, February 13. A Friday the 13th drawing at nearly $400 million would be the most on-brand lottery event of the year.

Meanwhile, Powerball Wants Attention

While Mega Millions sucks up all the oxygen, Powerball is sitting at $102 million for tonight's Saturday drawing. That's not a small number by any stretch, but it feels small next to $366 million. Poor Powerball. Always the bridesmaid when Mega Millions gets cooking.

Between the two games, you can play lottery five nights a week. Monday Powerball, Tuesday Mega Millions, Wednesday Powerball, Friday Mega Millions, Saturday Powerball. That's five chances per week to stare at bouncing ping pong balls and feel your dreams evaporate in real time. What a country.

The Expected Value Argument (That Nobody Cares About)

Mathematically, a $2 Mega Millions ticket is always a terrible investment. The odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. Even at $366 million, the expected value of a ticket is negative after accounting for taxes and the possibility of splitting the pot.

But you know what? Nobody has ever walked into a gas station, slapped $2 on the counter, and said "I'd like to make a mathematically sound investment, please." You're buying a ticket because for 72 hours between now and Tuesday's drawing, you get to imagine a life where money isn't a problem. That fantasy is worth $2. It's the cheapest entertainment on the planet.

What $165 Million Cash Actually Looks Like

Let's say you win and take the cash option at $165 million. Federal taxes take 37%, leaving you with about $104 million. State taxes vary—some states don't tax lottery winnings at all, others take another 8-10%. After all the cuts, you're looking at somewhere between $90 and $104 million in your pocket.

That's enough to never work again, fund a gambling addiction of biblical proportions, and still leave a pile of cash for your grandkids. Or you could invest it wisely and live off the interest. But we both know which option our readers would choose.

The Bottom Line

$366 million for Tuesday. The jackpot drought continues, the numbers keep climbing, and the gas station lines keep getting longer. This thing is headed toward $400 million territory, and that's when the real circus starts—when people who've never bought a lottery ticket in their lives start asking their coworkers to explain how Mega Ball works. Get your tickets, set your reminders, and spend the next three days fantasizing about telling your boss exactly what you think of them. That's the real lottery experience.