Mega Millions: Official Guide, Rules, Odds & How to Play
What is Mega Millions lottery?
Mega Millions (previously known as The Big Game) is one of the most popular American multi-state lotteries. It is currently played in 45 US states. The first Mega Millions draw took place in 2002.
Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 pm ET. Tickets cost $5.00 per play.
Did You Know?
Mega Millions has created some of the largest lottery jackpots in history, with prizes exceeding $1 billion multiple times!
How to play Mega Millions lottery?
Players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers - five different numbers (white balls) from 1 to 70 and one number (yellow ball) from 1 to 24. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.
The jackpots start at $50 million and grow based on ticket sales each time the jackpot rolls.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 70
- Choose 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 24
- Select the multiplier (included automatically in your $5 ticket)
- Wait for the draw on Tuesday or Friday at 23:00 ET
- Check your numbers and claim your prize!
Odds to win Mega Millions jackpot
Mega Millions has some of the longest odds to win the jackpot, making it one of the toughest lotteries to win!
| Winning Selections | Odds | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 290,472,336 | Jackpot! |
| Match 5 main numbers | 1 in 12,629,232 | $2,000,000* |
| Match 4 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 893,760 | $20,000* |
| Match 4 main numbers | 1 in 38,859 | $1,000* |
| Match 3 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 13,965 | $400* |
| Match 3 main numbers | 1 in 607 | $20* |
| Match 2 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 698 | $20* |
| Match 1 number + Mega Ball | 1 in 86 | $8* |
| Match the Mega Ball | 1 in 35 | $4* |
Non-jackpot prizes include a random multiplier (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X), increasing prizes up to $20,000,000 for Match 5, $200,000 for Match 4 + Mega Ball, $10,000 for Match 4, $4,000 for Match 3 + Mega Ball, $200 for Match 3, $200 for Match 2 + Mega Ball, $80 for Match 1 + Mega Ball, or $40 for Match Mega Ball.
Reality Check
As you can see, the odds of winning Mega Millions jackpot are not great! You are more likely to be struck by lightning than to win Mega Millions lottery!
Mega Millions Odds Calculations
If you ever wondered why the odds are so sky-high, let's have a look at how exactly they are being calculated.
In every Mega Millions drawing, 5 white balls are drawn together with a single yellow ball, making it a total of 6 balls.
Main Balls Odds
There are 70 numbers to pick from for the main balls. None can repeat. The number of ways to choose 5 balls from 70 is:
That means there are over 12 million ways to pick 5 numbers from 70 without repeating.
Bonus Ball Odds
There are 24 numbers for the Mega Ball. You pick 1, so there are 24 possible choices.
Overall Odds to Win Mega Millions
Multiply the main and bonus ball combinations:
So your odds are 1 in 290,472,336!
So there you go! If you wanted to purchase every possible combination to guarantee winning the jackpot, you would need to purchase over 290 million tickets!
But the good news is, there are better ways to improve your odds of winning Mega Millions without spending so much money.
Winning vs Losing Combinations
After each Mega Millions draw, the distribution of combinations is:
Winning Probability Calculations
In Mega Millions, you pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 and 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 24. To win the smallest prize, you need to match either the Mega Ball number or at least 3 main numbers and no Mega Ball. The number of combinations that will always win any prize after each draw is calculated as follows:
Total Number of Combinations
The total number of ways to choose 5 main numbers from 70 and 1 Mega Ball from 24 is given by:
Winning Combinations Breakdown
Let's calculate all the winning combinations for each prize tier:
| Prize Tier | Winning Combinations | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Match Mega Ball only | 12,103,014 | \( \binom{69}{5} \times \binom{1}{1} = 12,103,014 \) |
| Match 1 main + Mega Ball | 748,500 | \( \binom{5}{1} \times \binom{65}{4} \times \binom{1}{1} = 748,500 \) |
| Match 2 main + Mega Ball | 38,250 | \( \binom{5}{2} \times \binom{65}{3} \times \binom{1}{1} = 38,250 \) |
| Match 3 main only | 20,150 | \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{65}{2} \times \binom{23}{1} = 20,150 \) |
| Match 3 main + Mega Ball | 12,250 | \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{65}{2} \times \binom{1}{1} = 12,250 \) |
| Match 4 main only | 11,275 | \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{65}{1} \times \binom{23}{1} = 11,275 \) |
| Match 4 main + Mega Ball | 325 | \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{65}{1} \times \binom{1}{1} = 325 \) |
| Match 5 main only | 23 | \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{23}{1} = 23 \) |
| Match 5 main + Mega Ball | 1 | \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{1}{1} = 1 \) |
| Total Winning Combinations | 12,841,436 |
Non-Winning Combinations
Conclusion
Therefore, there are 12,841,436 combinations (4.42%) that win any prize in each Mega Millions drawing, while 277,630,900 combinations (95.58%) win nothing.
Probability Insight
Your chance of winning ANY prize in Mega Millions is approximately 1 in 22.6, which is significantly better than the jackpot odds of 1 in 290 million!
Ready to Play Smart?
Use our advanced tools and predictions to maximize your chances!
Explore Winning StrategiesNotable Changes & History
Starting April 8, 2025, Mega Millions introduced exciting updates to enhance your playing experience:
- Ticket Price Increase: Each play now costs $5, up from $2, reflecting bigger prizes.
- Starting Jackpot Raised: Jackpots begin at $50 million (previously $20 million) and grow faster.
- Built-In Multiplier: Every ticket includes a random 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X multiplier at no extra cost, boosting non-jackpot prizes (replaces the $1 Megaplier).
- Improved Odds: Jackpot odds improved to ~1 in 290.5 million (from ~1 in 302.6 million) due to the Mega Ball pool shrinking from 25 to 24.
- Larger Non-Jackpot Prizes: Secondary prizes are bigger, with Match 5 prizes up to $20 million with the multiplier.
Goal: Deliver larger, more frequent jackpots, averaging around $800 million!
On October 28, 2017, Mega Millions doubled the ticket price to $2:
- Matrix Change: From 5/75 + 1/15 to 5/70 + 1/25
- Jackpot Odds: Worsened from ~1 in 258.9M to ~1 in 302.6M
- Starting Jackpot: Increased to $20 million (from $15 million)
New 5/75 + 1/15 format starting October 22, 2013:
- Matrix Change: Players pick 5 from 1-75 and 1 Mega Ball from 1-15
- Odds: Jackpot odds changed to ~1 in 258.9 million
- Annuity: Shifted to 30 graduated payments (increasing 5% yearly)
Mega Millions and Powerball began cross-sell agreement:
- Expanded Reach: Most states could sell both games
- Megaplier Standard: All new states offered the Megaplier option
Format update on June 24, 2005:
- Matrix Change: From 5/52 + 1/52 to 5/56 + 1/46
- Odds: Jackpot odds became ~1 in 175.7 million
The Big Game became Mega Millions on May 17, 2002:
- Rebranding: New name reflecting growing popularity
- Matrix Change: From 5/50 + 1/36 to 5/52 + 1/52
- Megaplier Introduced: Optional 2X, 3X, or 4X multiplier for $1
Key updates to The Big Game:
- Mega Ball Pool: Increased from 1/25 to 1/36
- Cash Option: Winners could choose lump sum payment
- New State: New Jersey joined the game
Source: Mega Millions Official Site
