The Mega Millions jackpot is climbing higher and higher given that no fewer than 13 drawings have gone by since the last time a lucky winner took home the lottery's big prize; that means that tonight's reward sits at an impressive $140 million.

If you are hoping to convert yourself into a multimillionaire, the time to tune in is 11 p.m. Eastern Time, which is when the latest draw will take place at the studios of WSB-TV, Atlanta's ABC affiliate.

If a player finally cracks the jackpot tonight, he or she will have the choice between having the total prize paid out in annual installments over a 29-year period or an immediate payout of a lump sum of only $87 million. Before you agonize over that decision, however, you might want to consider that the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 259 million.

Mega Millions drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday, and the draw entry closes at 10:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets to the game are sold in 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands -- a total of 45 jurisdictions. And while hitting the jackpot is a true feat, the odds of winning any prize are much better at about 1 in 15.

The lottery's winning numbers from the last drawing on May 8 were 9, 21, 25, 66 and 72; the Mega Ball number was 7; and the Megaplier number was 3, according to the game's official website. The estimated jackpot had been $126 million, but no one has matched the correct numbers, the Houston Chronicle noted.

The last time a participant hit the top prize was on March 24. On that occasion, the winning ticket was sold in the heart of New York City at World Books, just steps from Penn Station, according to Mega Millions.

If you want to find out if you hold a slip worth millions this time around, you can watch a live stream of the drawing at 11 p.m. Eastern Time below.