Mega Millions Lottery
US Mega Millions is one of the largest lotteries in the world, with a jackpot that regularly goes into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The top prize has even climbed higher than $1 billion in the past. Draws are held on Tuesday and Friday evenings in Atlanta, Georgia. Find out more about the American multi-state game, including how to take part in Mega Millions from other locations around the world.
How to Play Mega Millions
Mega Millions tickets are sold in 47 jurisdictions in the U.S. It costs $5 per line, and you can play by following these steps:
- Pick five main numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball between 1 and 24.
- Select how many consecutive draws to enter in advance
- Pay for your entries
As part of every game, you are given a random multiplier, which will always increase any payouts you win (apart from the jackpot) by the value that is shown on your ticket. More details on how it works can be found further down the page.
It is now possible to enjoy lotteries that are not based where you live. Online betting services such as Jackpot.com allow you to wager on which numbers which will be drawn. You won't have a paper ticket like someone who has visited a store in the US, but you can still win all the same prizes just for matching numbers in the same way as if you were in a participating state. You also have the advantage of knowing that you will be emailed if you win. Go to the jackpots page to take part in Mega Millions.
Mega Millions Prizes
Mega Millions offers huge prizes in every draw. To win the jackpot, all of your selected numbers must be the same as the winning numbers in the draw you entered. There are also eight other ways to win, starting with a prize for matching just the Mega Ball.
The following table shows the different prize categories and the odds of winning in each one. The prizes displayed below the jackpot are the base amounts, so they will always be multiplied by between two or 10 times.
| Prize Category | Odds of Winning | Prize Value |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 + Mega Ball | 1 in 290,472,336 | Jackpot |
| Match 5 | 1 in 12,629,232 | $1 million |
| Match 4 + Mega Ball | 1 in 893,761 | $10,000 |
| Match 4 | 1 in 38,859 | $500 |
| Match 3 + Mega Ball | 1 in 13,965 | $200 |
| Match 3 | 1 in 607 | $10 |
| Match 2 + Mega Ball | 1 in 665 | $10 |
| Match 1 + Mega Ball | 1 in 86 | $4 |
| Match Mega Ball | 1 in 35 | $2 |
| The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 23.07 | ||
The Mega Millions jackpot rolls over when it is not won and can quickly reach more than $300 million. There is no jackpot cap or rollover limit so it keeps growing until someone matches all the winning numbers.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever to be offered was US$1.602 billion and was won in Florida on 8th August 2023. The grand prize was claimed a few weeks after the lucky draw date and the name of the winner, Saltines Holdings, LLC, was released by the Florida Lottery on 27th December 2023. The winner went for the cash option worth $US794.2 million.
How the Multiplier Works
The Multiplier boosts the value of any non-jackpot prize that you win. For example, if you match all five main numbers and just miss out on the Mega Ball, you will win at least $2 million and possibly as much as $10 million.
The payout is determined by the multiplier that is shown on your ticket, which could be 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x. The multiplier is applied at random at the time of purchase, according to the odds shown in the table below.
| Multiplier | Odds of Being Generated |
|---|---|
| 2x | 1 in 2.13 |
| 3x | 1 in 3.2 |
| 4x | 1 in 8 |
| 5x | 1 in 16 |
| 10x | 1 in 32 |
The table below shows all the prizes you can win with the multiplier.
| Prize Category | 2x Prize | 3x Prize | 4x Prize | 5x Prize | 10x Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 5 + Mega Ball | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| Match 5 | $2 million | $3 million | $4 million | $5 million | $10 million |
| Match 4 + Mega Ball | $20,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 |
| Match 4 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Match 3 + Mega Ball | $400 | $600 | $800 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Match 3 | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 | $100 |
| Match 2 + Mega Ball | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 | $100 |
| Match 1 + Mega Ball | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| Match Mega Ball | $10 | $15 | $20 | $25 | $50 |