What time is the Mega Millions drawing on Aug. 8? How to watch ...

LANSING, MI -- While it won’t be official until ticket sales have ended for the night, the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, Aug. 8 is shaping up to offer the largest prize ever in the history of the game. Tonight’s jackpot is worth an estimated $1.58 billion, which would surpass the record $1.537 billion set in 2018.

Related story: How you can stay anonymous in Michigan if you win the Mega Millions jackpot

MLive will be providing live coverage of tonight’s drawing, but you can also tune in and watch live on the follow stations across the state when the drawing takes place at 10:59 p.m.:

• WBKB-TV 11 (CBS)
• WDIV-TV 4 (NBC)
• WNEM-TV 5 (CBS)
• EWMT-TV (CW TV)
• WLAJ-TV 53 (ABC)
• WMKG-TV 40
• WLUC-TV 6 (NBC)
• WGTU-TV 29/WGTQ-TV 8 (ABC)

Keep in mind that while these stations do air the Mega Millions drawings, the drawing can be preempted by regularly scheduled programs. You can also watch the drawing on the Mega Millions YouTube page shortly after it airs on TV.

Players have until 10:45 p.m., on the night of the drawing to purchase a ticket, giving you plenty of time to scoop up a ticket before the drawing takes place at 11 p.m. In Michigan, Mega Millions tickets can be purchased at more than 10,500 lottery retail locations across the state, including at restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores and more.

Tickets can also be purchased through the Michigan Lottery website, which also sells tickets until 10:45 p.m. Players must have an account with the Michigan Lottery to buy tickets online. If you don’t have an account and want to create one, but don’t know where to start, you can follow this guide on how you to create a Michigan Lottery account.

For those of you who are either just outside of Michigan or might not be back in the state for the 10:45 cut-off, the bordering states also offer Mega Millions but those cut off times are slightly different. In Wisconsin, the cut-off is 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. CST. In Ohio, the cut-off time is 10:45 p.m EST and in Indiana, tickets must be bought by 10:44 p.m. EST.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 each.

For the latest on Michigan Lottery, check out the official Michigan Lottery site, which also offers more information on instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.

The last players from Michigan to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is the Wolverine FLL lottery club which claimed a $1.05 billion jackpot in March 2021. With their winnings, the group plans to give back to the community.

And while they were lucky winners, it’s smart for players to check their tickets immediately as a winner worth $1 million sold in Warren last year went unclaimed. The money instead went to the state’s School Aid Fund.