Mega Millions is an exciting multi-state lottery played every Tuesday and Friday evening across 45 states, plus the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands jurisdictions. Discover all aspects of the game including the latest Mega Millions winning numbers, prizes, payouts, how to play, the biggest jackpot winners, history of the game, and more. Show Current Mega Millions JackpotMega Millions Next Estimated Jackpot: $20 Million How to Play Mega MillionsHere's how to get started playing Mega Millions in four easy steps:
A video explaining how to play MegaMillions. Once you have your Mega Millions tickets, simply wait for the drawing, which is held every Tuesday and Friday in Atlanta, Georgia at 11pm ET. Check the Winning Numbers page soon afterwards to find out if you are due a prize. What is the Megaplier?For an additional $1, players can opt-in to play the Megaplier, which can significantly increase the value of the non-jackpot prizes. On the night of each Mega Millions draw, a Megaplier number from 2 to 5 will also be drawn. Any non-jackpot prizes that participating players win will then be multiplied by this Megaplier number. The option to play the Megaplier is offered by all states that participate in the Mega Millions lottery, with the exception of California. See how potential winnings can grow with Megaplier prize multiplier examples. Just the JackpotTicket holders also have the option to play Just the Jackpot. Players pay $3 for two lines, which would normally cost $4, but they can only win the jackpot. There is no prize for matching anything less than five main numbers and the Mega Ball. This feature is not currently available in New Hampshire. PrizesMega Millions has nine different prize tiers, ranging from $2 all the way up to the jackpot, which is always guaranteed to be $20 million or more. There is also no cap or rollover limit, meaning prizes can easily run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The prize tiers break down as follows in the majority of states:
The only exception to this is the state of California, which calculates prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning that payouts are determined by the number of tickets sold and the number of winning tickets. Megaplier Prize Multiplier ExamplesIf you chose to play the Megaplier, any non-jackpot prize you win is multiplied by the Megaplier number that is drawn. See below for some examples of how potential prizes can grow with a Megaplier:
The odds of each Megaplier being drawn are as follows:
How to Claim a Mega Millions PrizeSo you've matched all (or some) of the numbers selected and you've landed an awesome Mega Millions prize. What do you do now? Prizes of up to $600 can generally be collected at retailers in the state in which the Mega Millions ticket was bought. If you win a larger prize, notify the relevant State Lottery, who will take you through the next steps. Online players will be notified of wins by email, and will be guided through the process of collecting prizes. If you've won the jackpot, then you can choose a lump sum payment or an annuity. If you choose the annuity, you will receive one immediate payment and 29 annual payments after that. Each payment will be five percent larger than the last one in order to match the cost of living over time. If you choose the cash payment, you will receive a one-time payment equivalent to the cash in the jackpot prize pool. Any winnings you receive from Mega Millions will be subject to federal income taxes, as well as any applicable state income taxes. Several of the participating states – Wyoming, Washington, Texas, South Dakota, and Florida – don't levy income taxes on their residents. Tennessee and New Hampshire only impose tax on income from dividends and interest. If you've just matched all the numbers and are already looking at yachts and mansions, then it might be a good idea to do some math and see how much you have actually won, as the advertised jackpot does not account for state and federal taxes. Mega Millions WinnersEver since Mega Millions rebranded in 2010, there have been some incredible jackpots won by players from across the U.S. Below are the top 10 Mega Millions winners of all time. If you want to be in with a chance of winning a multi-million dollar jackpot, pick your numbers for the next Mega Millions draw at the Tickets page.
Game HistoryMega Millions is one of the biggest lotteries in the United States, with jackpots often running into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Read on to find out where Mega Millions started, and how it has turned into one of the most exciting lotteries in the world. Choose your Mega Millions numbers here to be in with a chance of becoming the next winner.
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