Mega Millions Lottery
The Mega Millions Lottery is a multi-state lottery game that has been available to play since May 2002. It replaced The Big Game which was first launched in August 1996. The operators of this lottery are the Multi-State Lottery Association however each of the states or jurisdictions that participate in this lottery run it on an individual basis meaning that some of them have different rules and regulations. In total there are 42 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S Virgin Islands that participate in Mega Millions.
How to Play Mega Millions
In order to play MageMillions you have to select five numbers from 1 to 56 then the Megaball from 1 to 46. One of the reasons this American lottery is so popular is down to the fact that is offers nine chances to win in which eight of these are guaranteed pay-outs no matter how many people win that particular prize. The jackpot is of course the only tier without the fixed amount and this is because it can rollover if players are not able to match the Mega Millions Lottery Results.
To increase the chances of winning a prize in this multi-state lottery game the Mega Millions Lottery (excluding the state of California) offers a feature called the Megaplier. This useful facility means that you can increase the amount you win considerably just by opting to play this additional number. Although it comes at an extra cost the Megaplier offers players to chance to win up to four times the original amount of the prize however it excludes the jackpot tier.
Odds of Winning the Mega Millions Lottery
Below is a table of the odds of winning Mega Million prizes:-
| Balls to Match | Payout | Chances of winning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Megaball | ||
| 5 | 1 |
Jackpot
|
1 in 175,711,536
|
| 5 | 0 |
$250,000
|
1 in 3,904,701
|
| 4 | 1 |
$10,000
|
1 in 689,065
|
| 4 | 0 |
$150
|
1 in 15,313
|
| 3 | 1 |
$150
|
1 in 13,781
|
| 3 | 0 |
$7
|
1 in 306
|
| 2 | 1 |
$10
|
1 in 844
|
| 1 | 1 |
$3
|
1 in 141
|
| 0 | 1 |
$2
|
1 in 75
|
| Overall chances of winning at Mega Millions Lottery | 1 in 40 | ||
Rollovers are a frequent occurrence in the Mega Millions and that allows the jackpot to often reach rather large heights. The jackpot is always worth a minimum of $12 million and it is known with multiple rollovers to often surpass the $100 million mark.
MegaMillions Lottery Winners
The biggest ever jackpot win happened in March 2007 when two winning tickets split the impressive jackpot of $390 million.
Some of the other big prize winners include:
- $363 million shared by two winners on May 9th 2000 which was the largest Big Game prize.
- $330 million shared by four winners on August 31st 2007 which was the largest Mega Millions shared prize.
- $315 million won by one person on November 15th 2005 which was the largest single winner.
MegaMillions Lottery Payment Options
Similar to the other multi-state American lottery game, Powerball, players in the Mega Millions - if they are lucky enough to win the jackpot - have the option to receive their winnings one of two ways. They can select the annuity payout which means the player will get their winnings in yearly payments spread over 26 years. Alternatively they can pick the cash option which means that will receive their winnings but they are subject to tax laws and will be lower than then advertised amount.
Mega Millions Lottery Draws
As this is one of America’s biggest lottery games it has gained quite a following since it was first launched. When the jackpot reaches impressive amounts ticket sales are known to soar. This game plays out twice a week on a Tuesday and Friday night at 10:00pm (ET) and they are held at WSB-TV in Atlanta. All of the most recent Mega Millions results are always available to view online shortly after the draw has taken place.
Written by Grace Mee
Page Last Updated: 10/01/2012 16:57:23
