A lottery jackpot is a prize of a size that entices people to play the game. Whether it’s a billion dollars or less, the idea of winning that much money draws in lotto players by appealing to their daydreams. But a large win also brings with it significant tax bills. And while the amount of those taxes varies by winner’s choice of payout option and state tax rates, they can be substantial.

In the United States, people who win a lottery jackpot can choose to receive a lump sum or an annuity payment over 29 years. A lump sum is a one-time payment, while an annuity is a series of annual payments that increase by a percentage each year. People who opt for the lump sum usually take half of what is advertised as the jackpot’s total dollar value. This is because discounts and taxes reduce the total amount of a jackpot.

When a jackpot is large, it tends to draw in more people, and the number of tickets sold can spike. But if the jackpot gets too low, ticket sales may slow. And that can be a problem for organizers of lottery games, who have to balance attracting customers with maintaining the odds of winning. One way to do that is by increasing the probability of hitting a particular combination of numbers. Another is by making the prize pool grow: If no winner is found in a given drawing, the jackpot “rolls over” to the next drawing and increases.