ORLANDO, Fla. – Friday night’s Mega Millions Jackpot is flirting with $1 billion, sitting at $940 million.
The winner can claim more than $483 million in cash with the lump sum option. If the prize increases again, it will be the second $1 billion jackpot in five months.
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There have only been three jackpots bigger than this in Mega Millions history.
A portion of the money from the lottery goes to education, according to News 6 partner WJXT-TV.
Every year, the Florida Lottery, which leads the country in lottery sales, sends money to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.
Last year, it raised more than $2 billion for the second straight year.
The Florida Lottery system contributes nearly a quarter of all its generated revenue to the state’s education fund.
Some of that money goes to the state’s Bright Futures Scholarship Program, which pays for full or three-fourths tuition coverage for selected Florida students.
The Florida Legislature figures out how the money would be allocated before giving it to public school systems. Florida’s Department of Education gets to give input on how the money is spent.
The next drawing for the Mega Millions is Friday at 11 p.m.
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