Where can I play Mega Millions?
With tickets being $2 per play, this lottery has given its players heavy mega winnings in millions of dollars wealth. Mega Millions has its roots in a lottery called The Big Game, which held its first drawing on September 6th, 1996, and which drew national attention after a record $363 million jackpot. The biggest ever Mega Millions jackpot was won on October 23rd 2018, when a single ticket from South Carolina won $1.5 billion.
Important Facts of Mega Millions
- Mega Millions estimated Jackpot amount is uncapped
- It’s played in 44 states
- Jackpot starts at $40 million
- The draw is held twice a week
Mega Millions Explained; How to play and Win
Mega Millions lottery is easy and straight forward to play, Choose 5 numbers from 1 - 70 then pick your Mega Ball number from 1 - 25. Use a play slip to choose your own numbers or request an "easy pick" from the clerk and the lotto terminal will choose the numbers for you. Play more than one drawing by checking the "multi-draw" box on the play slip.
Below are simple step by step outline of how you can play Mega Millions Lottery:
- Pick up a Mega Millions play slip at your favorite Lottery Retailer near you at $2 per play. Purchase your tickets by the cut-off time in your state or online. This ranges from 6:45pm PST in Washington to 10pm EST in New York and Florida.
- Choose your numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
- Choose five main numbers between 1 and 70
- Choose a Mega Ball number between 1 and 25
- Choose whether to play the Megaplier for an additional $1. Offering the chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes.
- Play the same set of numbers in multiple drawings! Select the number of consecutive drawings you want to play in the Multi-Draw or Advance Play section of your play slip or tell the retailer how many drawings you wish to play.
- Hand your marked play slip to the store clerk and you will receive a ticket with your Powerball numbers on it.
- Watch the Mega Millions drawing on your local television station or check lottery sites the following day to see if got the lucky winning Mega Millions number.
Mega Millions Drawing Days/Time
Mega Millions draws consists of two draws per week which are conducted on Tuesday and Friday bearing a similarity to
Powerball
which is also conducted twice a week but on different days. Drawings are conducted by the Multi-State Lottery Association. So we have Mega Millions Tuesday and Mega Millions Fridays.
Mega Millions Participating States
The following 44 states participate in Mega MIllions Lotteries;
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, U. S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Winning Options for Mega Millions
The jackpot starts at $40 million and grows until it's won, with the prize fund increasing after each draw without a top prize winner. There is no upper limit set for the Mega Millions Estimated jackpot.
For a top prize to be won, a Mega Millions lottery player must match all five main numbers and the Mega ball number. The game also offers an additional feature called the Megaplier option
Megaplier Option
For an additional $1, players can opt-in to play the Megaplier, which can significantly increase the value of the non-jackpot prizes.
On the night of each Mega Millions draw, a Megaplier number from 2 to 5 will also be drawn. Any non-jackpot prizes participating players win will then be multiplied by this Megaplier number. The option to play the Megaplier is offered by all states that participate in the Mega Millions lottery, with the exception of California
How to Add Megaplier to your Ticket
You add Megaplier when you buy a Mega Millions ticket by checking the box on your playslip and paying an additional $1 per line. You cannot play it separately and you cannot choose it later.
Megaplier Multipliers
The Megaplier can provide 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x the value of non-jackpot prizes.
Below is a breakdown of the Powerball cash options available to Powerball players.
Correct Numbers MatchedPrize Amount in $5 + Mega ballJackpot5$1,000,0004 + Mega ball$10,0004$5003 + Mega ball$2003$102 + Mega ball$101 + Mega ball$4Mega ball$2
Megaplier Winning Options
For an additional $1 per play, players can multiply any non-jackpot prize by matching the Mega ball Number. Prizes can increase by 2x, 3x, 4x or even 5x their original value.
Mega Millions Winning Odds
For each Mega Millions prize, there are varying odds of matching the winning draw. The Mega Millions odds are outlined in the table below. Obviously, the odd of winning the ultimate Jackpot which is matching correctly the five jackpot numbers with the Mega ball will be the highest.
Correct Numbers MatchedWinning Odds5 + Mega ball1 in 302,575,35051 in 12,607,3064 + Mega ball1 in 931,00141 in 38,7923 + Mega ball1 in 14,54731 in 6062 + Mega ball1 in 6931 + Mega ball1 in 89Mega ball1 in 37
Mega Millions Payout
Claim period varies from state to state from 90 to 365 days. Look on your ticket for the claiming period for the respective state.
Jackpot winners can receive their prize as either lump cash or annuity payment. To claim lump cash, the winner has to claim their prize within 60 days of results otherwise they will have to take their prize as an annuity. A player has 60 days from the date they claim their prize to choose the "cash" option or the "annuity" option. If the player selects the "cash" option, the prize will be a single cash payment equal to the amount available to the lottery for the jackpot prize pool. The "cash" prize is estimated to be approximately one-half of the estimated jackpots, depending on current interest rates. If the player chooses an annuity, it will be paid over 29 years, and the annual payment will be increased by a rate as determined by lottery officials.
The steps needed to claim your cash prize are outlined below
- Sign the ticket straightaway and complete the information on the back of the ticket.
- Simply present your winning ticket to your favorite lottery retailer or mail the signed/completed ticket to the lottery office of the State.
- A player may also download and print a Prize Claim Form from State Lottery website or pick up a form from a lottery retailer, complete and sign the form, and send it along with the signed winning ticket to the Lottery Office of their respective State
- Include a copy of your ID along with the Prize Claim Form and winning ticket.
- Mailing of tickets is at owner risk and so registered mail is highly recommended.
Tax on Mega Millions Payout
US Federal Law necessitates the Lottery to report winnings of $600 or more to the IRS and withhold 25 percent of any claim of more than $5,000. All the States Law has their deductions percentage of winnings. But with winnings of $500, you just might be tax free. All prizes over $599 are subject to taxes and other offsets required by law. Do well to know about your home state tax applicable laws. A save route is to contact the IRS to get concrete information regarding tax winnings. Any winnings you receive from Mega Millions will be subject to federal income taxes, as well as any applicable state income taxes. Several of the participating states – Wyoming, Washington, Texas, South Dakota, and Florida – don't levy income taxes on their residents. Tennessee and New Hampshire only impose tax on income from dividends and interest.
Mega Millions Ticket Cost
The cost of a Powerball ticket is $2 per line with additional $1 for the Megaplier option. The price is the same in all 44 states.
Mega Millions Recent Ultimate Prize Winners Stories
Success stories of Mega Millions Jackpot Winners abound as there have been lucky winners that clinch the coveted jackpot. Below are some interesting success stories for your reading pleasure
Three winning tickets shared a top prize worth a whopping $656 million on March 30th 2012. The prize was split between Merle and Patricia Butler of Red Bud, Illinois, "the Three Amigos" – a group of three education workers in Maryland – and an anonymous ticket holder from Kansas.
After 25 consecutive rollovers, this prize was won by one player from South Carolina, making it both the biggest Mega Millions jackpot ever offered and the biggest lottery jackpot ever won by a single ticket holder anywhere in the world. The player did not come forward until March 2019 and opted to stay anonymous. He took the cash option of $877.7 million while the original lottery jackpot was $1.537 billions
Available Mega Millions Operator/States
Mega Millions is available in 44 states including District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands jurisdictions. Purchasing Mega Millions over the internet is not advisable or possible except In some selected states, kindly inquire if this is possible in your respective state. Prizes might not be paid if a ticket was purchased online except in some selected states. Check our
sports betting comparison page
to get concrete information on licensed lottery operators for Mega Millions lotteries.
So quickly go to the nearest licensed Lottery retailer near you and purchase your tickets to be part of the Mega Millions lottery jackpot winners.
Mega Millions FAQs
Where Can I find Mega Millions numbers of the latest drawings?
The lottery office in each state, newspapers, Mega Millions app, lottery channel and popular lottery sites are some of the places to find Mega Millions results of latest draws.
Can I Buy Tickets Over the Internet?
State laws prohibit the sale of Lottery tickets by any other means than in person from a licensed Lottery retailer. But some selected states are an exception to the rule. Kindly inquire if this option is available in your respective states.
How Do I Tell If I Have a Mega Millions Winning Ticket?
Draw and instant tickets can be validated at Lottery retailers or at the Lottery office in each state. They can also be checked in a Check-A-Ticket at Lottery retailer locations.
What Should I Do If I Have a Winning Ticket?
Sign the back of the ticket immediately! Remember, lottery tickets are bearer instruments, meaning the person who "bears" the ticket can claim it, regardless of who purchased the ticket. The Lottery advises players to sign the back of their tickets when they purchase them - even before the drawing or the ticket is played.
How Do I Get Paid If I Have a Winning Ticket?
Prizes up to $599 may be claimed at most Lottery retail locations. Prizes of $600 and more must be claimed at the state Lottery office, either in person or by mail, and you must complete a claim form.
Is the Lottery Only for U.S. Citizen?
You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to play or to claim a prize. Non-residents will be required to provide an address outside of the U.S. But tax on winnings still apply irrespective of nationalization.
At what Age Am I Eligible to Play?
You must be 18 years of age and above, persons under the age of 18 are prohibited from claiming a lottery prize in the US. In some state, players must be 21 years old to partake in Mega Millions.
Conclusion: Become Mega Rich with Mega Millions
In this article, we have gone through Mega Millions in details, how you can purchase your tickets, prizes including the jackpot prize and definitely claim that Mega Prize. The draws are done twice weekly. So quickly get down to the nearest licensed lottery office to get that ticket that would make you win a Mega Millions Jackpot today!
