At over $1 billion, the Mega Millions jackpot is among the largest lottery prizes ever up for grabs. It's the latest focus of a long history of lotteries that have been conducted in the U.S. and around the world.
Only two prizes have grown larger than the $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot that could be won Friday night. Other lotteries elsewhere around the globe offer smaller payouts, though in other ways they're more integrated into life in their countries.
Lotteries remain popular in Europe, with none bigger than Spain's El Gordo, the biggest game for total prizes.