Overview

• The drawing is set for 10:59 p.m. ET, with $2 tickets sold in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Ticket buying has surged, with 162 million tickets sold for the Sept. 3 drawing, a 189% increase from the prior week.
• A winner can choose a $1.80 billion annuity paid over 30 years with 5% annual increases or a $826.4 million lump sum.
• The lump sum faces an automatic 24% federal withholding (about $628.1 million left before more taxes), and state taxes vary up to 10.9% while eight states levy none.
• Research shows lottery retailers cluster in lower-income neighborhoods, and roughly 1% of lottery prize money goes unclaimed each year.