Mega Millions
Mega Millions is played nationally across 45 states and the jurisdictions of the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. It is one of the most popular lotteries in the US due to the size of the jackpots which can be won. Mega Millions draws take place twice a week on Tuesday and Friday nights at 23.00 Eastern Time. To win the jackpot, a player has to match five numbers between 1 and 70 plus an additional number, known as the Mega Ball, from a separate pool of between 1 and 25.
The Mega Millions jackpot is paid out either as a cash lump sum or as an annuity. The annuity is paid out over 29 years and the advertised jackpot prize is calculated on the total annuity payout (taking into account interest over the life of the payments). Consequently, the cash lump sum is less than the advertised jackpot.
Latest Mega Millions Results
Friday May 17th 2024
Prize Breakdown for May 17th 2024
| Prize Level | Prize | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 plus Mega Ball | $393,000,000 | 0 (Rollover!) |
| Match 5 | $1,000,000 | 1 |
| Match 4 plus Mega Ball | $10,000 | 16 |
| Match 4 | $500.00 | 344 |
| Match 3 plus Mega Ball | $200.00 | 959 |
| Match 3 | $10.00 | 23,089 |
| Match 2 plus Mega Ball | $10.00 | 21,311 |
| Match 1 plus Mega Ball | $4.00 | 168,962 |
| Match 0 plus Mega Ball | $2.00 | 411,409 |
| Match 5 (with Megaplier) | $2,000,000 | 0 |
| Match 4 plus Mega Ball (with Megaplier) | $20,000 | 4 |
| Match 4 (with Megaplier) | $1,000.00 | 88 |
| Match 3 plus Mega Ball (with Megaplier) | $400.00 | 257 |
| Match 3 (with Megaplier) | $20.00 | 6,152 |
| Match 2 plus Mega Ball (with Megaplier) | $20.00 | 5,512 |
| Match 1 plus Mega Ball (with Megaplier) | $8.00 | 45,266 |
| Match 0 plus Mega Ball (with Megaplier) | $4.00 | 110,365 |
Previous Mega Millions Results
Tuesday May 14th 2024
Friday May 10th 2024
Tuesday May 7th 2024
Friday May 3rd 2024
Mega Millions jackpots are worth a minimum of $20 million which, if the draw produces no jackpot winner, will roll over to the next draw creating potentially mammoth jackpots.
There are a total of nine prize tiers, including the jackpot, in every Mega Millions draw. All prize tiers except the jackpot are set amounts so, no matter how many winners there are in the prize tier, each winner receives a guaranteed amount. The exception to this rule is California, where all prizes except the jackpot are calculated on a pari-mutuel basis. This means that all the prize tiers, except the jackpot, represent a percentage of ticket sales and so vary from draw to draw.
Players in some states can also opt to purchase the Megaplier for a small additional cost. This option, when selected by a player, increases any non-jackpot prizes by the multiplier drawn - 2, 3, 4 or 5. This means there is the potential for a Match 5 winner to increase their winnings from $1 million to a massive $5 million.
There is also an option in some states to play Just the Jackpot, where participants can receive two sets of numbers for a cheaper price ($3 for two lines rather than $2 per line). However, they cannot win a prize other than the jackpot, so they must match the full winning line.
The prize tiers in each draw are as follows:
| Match | Odds of Winning | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 5 main numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 302,575,350 | Jackpot |
| 5 main numbers | 1 in 12,607,306 | $1 million |
| 4 main numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 931,001 | $10,000 |
| 4 main numbers | 1 in 38,791 | $500 |
| 3 main numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 14,546 | $200 |
| 3 main numbers | 1 in 606 | $10 |
| 2 main numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 693 | $10 |
| 1 main number + Mega Ball | 1 in 89 | $4 |
| Mega Ball only | 1 in 36 | $2 |
Facts About Mega Millions
- The record for the largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time was set in August 2023 when it reached a colossal $1.60 billion. The winning ticket was bought in Florida and the lucky winner, Saltines Holdings, LLC went for the cash option of $794.2 million.
- Mega Millions can trace its roots back to August 1996, when it first launched as the Big Game. The first ever draw was held on 6th September 1996 with six states taking part.
- Mega Millions has gone through many changes over the years and the most recent refresh came in October 2017, when the minimum starting jackpot was increased, the ball matrix was changed and bigger prizes were offered in a number of the tiers.
- Approximately 50% of every ticket sale goes back to players in the form of prizes.