Mega Millions is one of the biggest lotteries on the planet and, relatively frequently, has prizes in in the 100s of millions - and even billions - up for grabs.

In July 2022, a single Mega Millions ticket purchased in the state of Illinois, won an incredible $1.337 billion (£1.139 billion) jackpot. The entry got the five numbers - 13, 36, 45, 57, 67 – and the Mega Ball - 14 - spot on to clinch the second-highest jackpot win in the rich history of the draw.

The biggest ever Mega Millions record jackpot came in 2018, when a $1.537 billion (£1.310 billion) jackpot was won. That time, the winning ticket was bought in South Carolina, and the triumphant digits were 5, 28, 62, 65 and 70 - and 5 for the Mega Ball.

Although you can only purchase official Mega Millions tickets in the US, the great news for UK lotto enthusiasts is that you can bet on the outcome of MegaMillions at Lottoland with the chance to win the same amount as the official lottery winner.

The Mega Millions draw is held every Tuesday and Friday at 23:00 ET (Wednesday and Saturday at 04:00 UK time, GMT+1 during BST).

The history of the Mega Millions draw is lined with interesting stories about jackpot winners. Take, for instance, the 11 co-workers from San Jose who won a $543 million (£463 million) prize for a single ticket, back in 2018.

"If I could win, anybody could win. We're just normal people," said syndicate representative Roland Reyes, at the time - and reiterated that none of the winners would be quitting their job at the financial intuition they worked at. "We love that company. We love what we've built there. We have a good time and want to stay together."

And then there was the Indiana family who won $536 million (£457 million) in 2016. They usually entered the US Powerball, but this time opted for the Mega Millions draw. The decision certainly paid off.

"We are humbled and overjoyed by our Mega Millions winnings. Our priority is to maintain a sense of normalcy for our children," said the family, who chose to remain anonymous.

A family representative added: "They're going to continue to work. They don't want this to change their lives."

Also in 2018, Richard Wahl from New Jersey, won $533 million (£455 million) in the Mega Millions draw. When he came forward to claim his prize, he said: "I drive past that Mega Millions sign every day and don't buy." Just as well, then, the one time he did decide to purchase a ticket.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is right up there with the highest among global lotteries. Only Italy's SuperEnalotto's jackpot odds of one in 622 million are higher than the Mega Millions' one in 302 million. But even if these odds are huge, this can be well worth it, given the size of those jackpots. Some other lotteries that have really high jackpot odds are the US Powerball with one in 292 million and German Lotto with one in 140 million.

Out of interest, the odds of winning the second-biggest prize in the Mega Millions are significantly smaller than the jackpot chances. Whereas those jackpot odds are one in 302 million, the chances of winning the prize just below are one in 13 million.

Although you cannot buy Mega Millions tickets or play online from the UK you can bet on the official results at Lottoland which gives you the same odds and pays out the same record-breaking prizes if you match the winning numbers.