I just reviewed how Mega Millions works and it's interesting to know what the winning numbers are and how the drawing is conducted. Basically, you choose 5 numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) plus the gold Mega Ball from 1 to 25. If you match all six winning numbers, you win the jackpot.

What surprises me is that the grand prize starts at $20 million and increases each time there is no winner. I've seen histories where the winning numbers have resulted in prizes of over $1.5 billion, so things get serious.

Another important thing: if you win, you have two options. You can choose to receive 30 annual payments (each 5% more than the previous one) or a lump sum in cash, though less money. And you have up to a year to claim your prize.

Now, what many don't know is that some states do not charge additional state tax if you win there (Wyoming, Texas, Florida, California, and others). But in states like New York or Maryland, they take almost 10%. So, it really depends on where you buy the ticket. The winning numbers can make a pretty big difference in how much money you get.