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Mega Millions is one of the biggest lottery games in the United States, and tickets for this lottery can be sold in 45 different states across the continent, making it a multi-state lottery. It boasts some of the biggest jackpots in the world.
Mega Millions draws take place every Tuesday and Friday at 23:00 EST in Atlanta, Georgia.
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, players must match all five main numbers and the Mega Ball number. Matching fewer numbers can still result in significant prizes in lower tiers, adding excitement to the popular lottery game.
The Mega Millions is one of the most popular jackpot games in the United States. To play, participants need to choose five numbers from a range of 1 to 70 and an additional Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. The jackpot starts at $20 million and increases with each draw without a winner. Matching all six numbers leads to the grand prize. Moreover, there are other prize tiers for matching fewer numbers but still getting some correct combinations. Draws take place every Tuesday and Friday night, offering players thrilling opportunities to win big.
This can be done in a few easy steps:
1. Choose your numbers: select five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 25 for the gold "Mega Ball." Alternatively, you can use the Quick Pick option for random number generation.
2. Decide whether you want to enter a single draw or subscribe for multiple draws* in advance. You may also have additional options like systematic plays offered by some platforms.
3. Review your selections and proceed to check out.
4. You will get a scanned image of your Mega Millions tickets that you can view anytime in your account. Now, you can relax and await the results of the next Mega Millions drawing.
Remember, playing responsibly is essential in lottery games. Enjoy playing Mega Millions responsibly and have fun while doing so!
The Megaplier is an exciting feature offered by the Mega Millions lottery game. It allows players to exponentially increase their non-jackpot winnings by adding a small additional cost to their ticket order. When a player selects the Megaplier option, a random multiplier (2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x) will be drawn before each Mega Millions drawing. If the player wins any non-jackpot prize and also has the Megaplier, their prize amount will be multiplied by the drawn multiplier. For example, if a player wins $100 with a 3x Megaplier, they would receive $300 instead. The Megaplier adds extra excitement and potential value to every Mega Millions ticket bought.
The cost of playing Mega Millions varies depending on the state and whether you choose the Megaplier option. In most states, a single ticket costs $2, while the Megaplier adds an extra $1 per play. Some states may offer discounted prices for purchasing multiple draws in advance. You can order Mega Millions tickets at Jackpot.com for $2 per line.
The Mega Millions jackpot is one of the most sought-after prizes in the lottery world. The chance of hitting the jackpot is 1 in 302,575,350 due to the vast number of possible number combinations. Nevertheless, there are lesser prize tiers with higher odds. The odds of winning any prize start at 1 in 24 and increase gradually for each prize level. While it may be challenging to claim the jackpot, players have a greater likelihood of winning smaller amounts along the way. Don’t underestimate those secondary prizes!
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, you need to match all 5 numbers and one bonus number. However, there are other prizes to be won (see table below). You can check if your numbers match the winning numbers by visiting our Mega Millions results page. If you’re not sure which numbers you submitted, you can view them in your account.
But don’t worry! We will still send you an email to inform you that you have won and we will make sure that the prize money is transferred to your account as soon as possible. If you win over $600, we will arrange for delivery of your ticket so you can claim your prize at a State Lottery redemption center.
You can win different prizes with Mega Millions, depending on how many numbers you match. Prize amounts are set, except for the jackpot amount which is determined by the number of tickets sold. The odds of winning in Mega Millions differ across the tiers. You can view Mega Millions prizes and odds in the table below:
| Match | Odds of Winning | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + 1 | 1:302,575,350 | Jackpot |
| 5 | 1:12,607,306 | $1,000,000 |
| 4 + 1 | 1:931,001 | $10,000 |
| 4 | 1:38,792 | $500 |
| 3 + 1 | 1:14,547 | $200 |
| 3 | 1:606 | $10 |
| 2 + 1 | 1:693 | $10 |
| 1 + 1 | 1:89 | $4 |
| 0 + 1 | 1:37 | $2 |
The Mega Millions jackpot starts at $20 million, and it can only go higher from there! There is no maximum jackpot, so it will continue to roll over until the jackpot is won. No wonder this lottery game is called Mega Millions!
If nobody wins the jackpot, there will be a rollover, which means that the jackpot will increase. Since there is no capping on the Mega Millions jackpot, this will continue to increase until someone wins the jackpot.
The federal withholding rate is 24% for prizes over $5,000, however, in some states, Mega Millions winnings are subject to both federal and state income tax. Please review the laws in your jurisdiction for more information.
Tier 1 prizes (i.e. the jackpot) can be paid out in two ways: either yearly over a period of 30 years, or as a discounted lump sum at once. This is solely at your discretion.
The first ever draw took place on September 6, 1996, under the name ‘Big Game’, and only 6 states could participate. The ability to choose a cash payout was not available back then - this started in January 1999. In May 2002, the game was renamed to ‘Mega Millions’ and more states started to join. 2013 marked another special moment for Mega Millions, as it became the first lottery game to offer second-tier prizes worth up to $5 million. The first ever Mega Millions jackpot was claimed by Samuel Rice and the Rice Partnership of Catham, who enjoyed a wonderful $28 million prize.
Mega Millions is played across 45 states in the US, plus Washington D.C. and the U.S Virgin Islands. Residents of California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Georgia are among the many fortunate individuals who can participate in this exciting multi-state lottery game for a chance to win life-changing jackpots.
Since 2002 a total of 188 jackpots were given out to 213 individual tickets and another 20 were shared by more than one ticket.19 Mega Millions jackpots were worth more than $300 million!
How does $1.537 billion sound? On October 23, 2018, one lucky player won that massive sum, making it the largest ever Mega Millions jackpot to be won by a single ticket-holder, who wanted to remain anonymous. The ticket was sold in South Carolina.
The next on the list would be the whopping $1.35 billion given out on January 2023. This prize was won by a single player from Maine.