Mega Millions tickets are available for purchase until 10:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the draw at 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Fridays, including holidays.
To get a chance to win the $1.02 billion Friday jackpot, just purchase a ticket on the website of Mega Millions or in selected stores before 10:45 pm. The simplest way to buy a ticket is to visit the Mega Millions website and the selection of your status, which will then take you to the appropriate ticket purchase website. Mega MillionsTickets are available in 47 locations, 45 of which are in the District of Columbia and the United States Virgin Islands.
What is Mega Millions?
Mega Millions is a multi-jurisdiction American lottery game. It was initially known as The Big Game when it was launched in August 1996, and it has only six participating states: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia. The initial draw took place on 6 September 1996. The US lottery game peaked at $1.537 billion in October 2018. The winner made an anonymous claim on prize money in March 2019. The second largest jackpot was $1.050 billion in January 2021.
How to play Mega Millions?
In order to play Mega Millions, you must choose five numbers from 1 to 70, the white balls, and one number from 1 to 25, the gold Mega ball. You can select the numbers yourself or randomly select them and then record them on your ticket.
To win the jackpot, you need to correspond to each of the six winning numbers. There are also many other ways of winning small prizes ranging from the $2 jackpot. For instance, if you only match the Mega Ball, you will win $2, while for matching three regular numbers, you will win $10, and for three regular numbers and the Mega Ball, you will get $200, whereas if you match four regular numbers, you can get $500. Overall chances of winning any prize are 1 in 24.
Most states also offer a Megaplier option that costs an extra $1 and raises jackpot-free prizes by 2, 3, 4, or 5 times depending on which Megaplier is fired.
How does one claim the Jackpot?
If you are fortunate enough to match the six numbers and win the jackpot, there are two different ways to get the cash. The first option is to have a single lump sum payment equal to all the money in the Mega Million jackpot if you want. There is also an annuity option which means that the jackpot is paid in one immediate payout followed by 29 annual payouts. Each payout is 5% higher than the previous one, and Mega Millions believes that it helps protect the lifestyle of winners and buying power in times of inflation.
FAQs
Q. Who won in the recent Mega Millions?
A. A split ticket sold in San Jose, California, and Fort Myers, Florida, won $502 million ($252.0 million cash) on October 14, 2022.
Q. Can a group of individuals share a Mega Million prize?
A. Yes, the Mega Million prices can be split. Winners may choose how to share a prize when they request it.
Q. Is there a Mega Millions mobile app?
A. No. Mega Millions is sold through individual lotteries, so there is no official play application.
