Lottery jackpots are soaring past the billion-dollar mark more frequently

If you like to daydream about what you'd do with a billion-dollar payday, Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries are giving you more chances than ever: for several reasons, eye-popping jackpots are much more likely to happen now than they were in recent years.

But that doesn't mean you're more likely to win a massive lottery prize than you were 10 years ago. It's less likely, in fact — but that isn't likely to stop anyone from buying a ticket.

The what-ifs of sudden wealth are on many Americans' minds now, as the jackpot for Friday night's Mega Millions drawing was forecast at $1.35 billion.

If a winner emerges, it would be the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history. The Friday the 13th drawing is set for 11 p.m. ET.

Huge jackpots make for eye-catching headlines — $2.04 billion! $1.337 billion!