Near Record $1.35 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot WA, CA, OR

The estimated Mega Millions Jackpot on Friday, January 13th will be an estimated $1.35 Billion, the second largest in the game's history.

Lottery ticket buyers in Washington, Oregon, and California will have a shot at winning, as each is among the 45 states participating, along with Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands. Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah do not participate.

Is There a Guaranteed Way to Win The Mega Millions Jackpot?

I'm not a math whiz, but I do believe there is a strategy that pencils out a way to win the $1.35 Billion jackpot. However, it may not be practical or even a solid financial decision.

If you purchase $600 Million worth of tickets, you'd be able to secure every possible number combination, and therefore win the jackpot. Keep in mind that the one-time payout of a little over $700,000,000 wouldn't cover paying yourself back and the tax liability that comes with winning. So, you'd be upside down by a couple hundred million dollars. Not cool.

Even if Nobody Wins the Mega Millions Jackpot, Some May Become Millionaires

There was no winner of the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing and therefore nobody became a billionaire. However, there were 16 winners who each won at least $1 Million.

Heck, even winning a free ticket will keep people coming back for more each week.

Where to Buy Mega Millions Lottery Tickets in Washington, Oregon, and California?

Mega Millions tickets are available at hundreds of locations throughout Washington, Oregon, and California.

Find locations near you HERE. We've selected three locations, one each from WA, OR, and CA to feature.

Washington State Lottery Retailer - Wray's IGA at Chalet Place in Yakima, Washington

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When you're in the 'Palm Springs of Washington', you can get lottery tickets at Wray's. There's a service counter staffed to help you - and a vending machine to make it easy.

Oregon State Lottery Retailer - Pilot Travel Center in Chemult, Oregon

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If you're cruising down Hwy 97 on your way to or coming back from California, this Oregon pit stop can hook you up with lottery tickets and some snacks!

California State Lottery Retailer - Stop-N-Save in Santa Clara, California

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Hey, if you're in town to catch the Seahawks vs 49ers game on Saturday, stop in and get your lottery tickets at the Stop-N-Save. Some think your odds are going to be about as good as Seattle's in the wild card match-up. (I'm predicting a Seahawks victory).

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

LOOK: Here is the richest town in each state

Just saying the names of these towns immediately conjures up images of grand mansions, luxury cars, and ritzy restaurants. Read on to see which town in your home state took the title of the richest location and which place had the highest median income in the country. Who knows—your hometown might even be on this list.

Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

Filed Under: Mega Millions jackpot