Mega Millions is one of the most widely played lottery games in the United States, offering multi-million-dollar jackpots that frequently surpass the one-billion-dollar mark. Administered across 47 jurisdictions, the game requires players to select six numbers per ticket: five white balls numbered 1 through 70, and one golden Mega Ball numbered 1 through 25, according to official lottery rules.
Where Mega Millions Tickets Are Sold
Virgin Islands. However, state regulations prohibit sales in five states: Alabama, Alaska, Hawai’i, Nevada, and Utah. Residents in the remaining 45 states can purchase tickets at authorized local retailers or online where state lottery platforms permit.
A standard basic ticket costs $5. Players must purchase their entries before the state-regulated cutoff time, which typically falls one to two hours prior to each live drawing. Tickets bought after the deadline automatically apply to the next scheduled drawing.
Drawing Schedule and Prize Tiers
Drawings take place twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time (8:00 p.m. Central Time). To claim the jackpot, a ticket must match all six numbers drawn. Players who match fewer numbers can still win cash prizes ranging from a base of $10 up to millions, depending on the combination matched and an automatically assigned multiplier of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X drawn before each event.
- 5 numbers + Mega Ball: Jackpot
- 5 numbers: $2 million, $3M, $4M, $5M or $10M
- 4 numbers + Mega Ball: $20K, $30K, $40K, $50K or $100K
- 4 numbers: $1K, $1.5K, $2K, $2.5K or $5K
- 3 numbers + Mega Ball: $400, $600, $800, $1K or $2K
- 3 numbers: $20, $30, $40, $50 or $100
- 2 numbers + Mega Ball: $20, $30, $40, $50 o $100
- 1 number + Mega Ball: $14, $21, $28, $35 o $70
- Mega Ball only: $10, $15, $20, $25 o $50
Jackpot Payout Options
Jackpot winners choose between two distinct disbursement methods before taxes are applied. The first option is an annualized payout, which provides an immediate initial cash transfer followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year. The second option is a single cash lump sum equivalent to the net present value of the prize pool.
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