I just saw that Mega Millions remains the most played lottery in the U.S., and honestly, I understand why. The jackpot is quite juicy these days, around hundreds of millions. What surprised me is how taxes vary depending on the state where you buy the winning ticket. If you win in Florida, Texas, or Wyoming, you avoid state tax. But if you hit in New York, they hit you with almost 11%. That's a huge difference.

For those who don't know, the game is simple: choose five numbers from 1 to 70 and one from 1 to 25 for the Mega Ball. If you match all six, you take home the largest jackpot starting at 20 million and it rolls over if there's no winner. The prize can be claimed as a lump sum in cash or in 30 annual payments. The crazy part is that some winning numbers have reached over 1.6 billion dollars. You have 90 days up to a year to claim it.

What I like least is that some states charge up to 10% in taxes. When you add federal taxes, it ends up being a fortune you lose. Still, people keep buying tickets. What would you do if you won the next round?