Millionaire
Mega Millions
Lottery Overview & Statistics
Mega Millions is a US multi-state lottery administered by a consortium of state lottery operators and sold in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. Rebranded from The Big Game in 2002, it currently uses a 5/70 + 1/25 matrix, producing a jackpot probability of 1:302,575,350, the longest jackpot odds of any major US lottery.
The minimum starting jackpot is USD 20 million, with no statutory cap on rollovers. This uncapped structure enabled the USD 1.602 billion jackpot of October 2018 and the USD 1.537 billion jackpot of October 2018 (Mega Millions holds two of the five largest US lottery prizes ever). The jackpot is offered as a lump-sum cash option or a 30-payment annuity.
Mega Millions and Powerball are sold simultaneously in most jurisdictions, providing complementary draw schedules: Mega Millions draws on Tuesday and Friday, Powerball on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Game Format & Rules
Players select five white ball numbers from a pool of 1 to 70, plus one Mega Ball number from a secondary pool of 1 to 25. The two pools are drawn independently. A jackpot win requires matching all five white balls and the Mega Ball. The standalone Mega Ball match (Tier 9) pays USD 2.
The Megaplier add-on is available for an additional USD 1 per play, multiplying non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x. The Megaplier value is drawn separately before the main draw. Unlike Powerball's Power Play, the second prize (five white balls, no Mega Ball) is multiplied to a maximum of USD 5 million with Megaplier active.
Players may enter up to five plays per transaction online. Quick Pick random selection is available. Each play combination is independent; no combination carries historical memory or pattern advantage over another.
Prize Structure & Odds Analysis
Mega Millions features nine prize tiers. Tier 1 (jackpot) probability is 1:302,575,350. Tier 2 (five white balls, no Mega Ball) pays USD 1,000,000 with odds of 1:12,607,306. Megaplier, when active, increases Tier 2 to a maximum of USD 5,000,000. The lowest tier (Tier 9, Mega Ball only) pays USD 2 with odds of 1:37.
The overall probability of winning any prize is approximately 1:24. Prize pool allocation is 50% of ticket revenue. Federal and applicable state taxes apply to US residents. Non-US players accessing Mega Millions via online platforms are subject to the tax treaty framework between their country of residence and the US.
Jackpot winners select between a lump-sum cash value (approximately 55-60% of the advertised jackpot before tax) or a 30-payment annuity. The annuity structure provides 29 annual payments, each increasing by 5% from the previous year.
Draw Schedule & Deadlines
Mega Millions draws are held every Tuesday and Friday at 23:00 ET (04:00 UTC the following day). Ticket sales close at approximately 22:45 ET on draw days, though individual state retailer cut-offs may vary and some states close sales earlier.
The draw is conducted in Atlanta, Georgia, under independent oversight. Results are transmitted simultaneously to retail point-of-sale systems and authorised online platforms immediately after the draw concludes.
Multi-draw advance purchases are supported by most online platforms, allowing players to lock in the same number selections or Quick Pick entries for multiple consecutive draws in a single transaction.
Cryptocurrency Ticket Purchases
Online platforms supporting Mega Millions ticket purchases accept cryptocurrency deposits via BTC, ETH, USDT, and other major digital assets. Deposits are converted to USD-equivalent ticket value at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of deposit confirmation.
Crypto purchases are particularly advantageous for non-US-based players, as cross-border card and bank transfers to US-licensed gaming operators are frequently declined at the issuing bank or card network level. Blockchain deposits bypass this restriction.
Withdrawals requested in cryptocurrency are executed at market rates at the time of the withdrawal request. The USD-denominated nature of Mega Millions prizes means players bear exchange rate risk on the conversion leg of any crypto withdrawal.
