3 numbers plus the Mega Ball: $200 (multiplied by the Megaplier value, if you purchased that option). This helps protect winners’ lifestyle and purchasing power in periods of inflation.See more information about the annuity option. All other Mega Millions states set the 2nd through 9th prizes at pre-determined amounts. The October 2017 Mega Million changes included raising ticket prices from $1 to $2 apiece, dropping the number of white balls from 75 to 70, and having 25 numbers to choose among for the Mega Ball instead of 15. If you are thinking it is out-and-out easy to win the Mega Millions jackpot – you could just walk up to a lottery retail store any time you want and be the next millionaire or billionaire depending on the current jackpot prize. By using The Balance Everyday, you accept our. A similar redesign was made five years earlier, in October 2012. Just the Jackpot tickets are not eligible for any other prize levels. Most states also offer a "Megaplier" option, where you pay $1 per ticket to multiply any prize you win (other than the jackpot) by two, three, four, or five. Jackpot players will love this exciting new wager type that allows them to play specifically for the jackpot only. The Just the Jackpot ticket gives you two tickets for just $3, but those tickets are only eligible to win jackpots, not any of the lower-tier prizes. The period in which you must claim your winning ticket varies by state: 2012 Lottery Results Almanac, USA Edition. In case you didn’t know, there are nine ways to win a prize in Mega Millions. Look at the numbers drawn in the past and try to figure out which is number group that have not been represented in the previous draws. People who take the annuity option pay taxes on their winnings each year. To play the Mega Millions lottery, you must pick five numbers between 1 and 70 and one additional number between 1 and 25. So, matching all numbers drawn wins you the jackpot, but it is not the only way to win Mega Millions. How Powerball Works: What You Need to Know to Play Smart & Win. Similar strategy as playing consecutive numbers, playing numbers with the same last digit like 1-11-21-31-41 (1) hasn't happened in the past so you may as well not use it. How Do You Win the Mega Millions Lottery? Winning tickets are subject to validation and must be claimed in the state in which they were purchased. Each Mega Millions ticket costs $2.00 to play, and there is no limit on the number of tickets you can buy at one time. So when picking your numbers, try not to pick all of them odd or even. Sandra Grauschopf is the Contests and Sweepstakes Expert for The Balance Everyday. As of October 28, 2017, some states offer a "Just the Jackpot" ticket. Mega Millions' winning numbers are drawn from two drums, one containing 70 balls and one containing 25 balls. That means, that by playing them, you should be winning way more frequently than the odds would normally allow. Mega Millions broke the record for the United States' largest lottery jackpot when a $656 million prize was awarded on March 30, 2012. That only means that the tickets are not sold in those states. You can't buy all the tickets and even if you could the jackpot is simply not high enough to be profitable. Playing them will most likely guarantee you that you will never win a jackpot again. Yo… Mega Millions is played in 45 states in the U.S. as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If no one wins the jackpot, the next drawing will be even larger, with the jackpot increasing each time. We do extensive statistics after each draw and among many things we track combinations of numbers which are winning the most frequently. It's also possible to win a secondary prize for matching a fewer number of balls, as outlined below. In October 2017, Mega Millions changed its structure, making it harder to win the jackpot but easier to win a million-dollar prize. Perhaps, the most exciting change is the increase in jackpot prize from $15 million to $40 million. With such high odds to win the Mega Millions jackpot, it may seem impossible, but following these tips can help you win many prizes way more frequently than playing random numbers. Drawings are held twice a week - every Tuesday and Friday evening. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. The balance wheel system allows you to win at least one prize if some or all the drawn numbers are in the group of numbers chosen by you. You will be playing extra 39 main numbers but you will have to select one of our different strategies to improve your odds to win. Here's What You Need to Know. Could a Lottery Pool Be Your Ticket to Millions? So move on to some more practical strategies. Should You Take a Lump-Sum Payment When You Win the Powerball Jackpot? Each jackpot starts at a sum determined by ticket sales and interest. 1 number plus the Mega Ball: $4 (multiplied by the Megaplier value, if you purchased that option). The most important part is to find the right people to play and draft a syndicate agreement so everyone is covered in case of win. Each payment is 5% bigger than the previous one. White squares - The first five numbers on your ticket can match with any of the first five numbers drawn, in any order. 7, 2020. The additional number is known as the "Mega Ball." Some people do it for whichever reasons, but this has never worked. 5 numbers plus the Mega Ball (Jackpot): Odds of 1 in 302,575,350. All rights reserved. " Only six states participated at first, but as the lottery grew in popularity, more joined in. 1 number plus the Mega Ball: Odds of 1 in 89. 5 numbers plus the Mega Ball: The rolling jackpot. The ratio should be either 2:3 or 3:2 meaning wither 3 odd numbers and 2 even numbers or 2 odd numbers or 3 even numbers. Can Non-US Residents Play to Win the Mega Millions Lottery? You can also use online lottery syndicates but make sure you do the research, and that they are genuine. 4 numbers plus the Mega Ball: Odds of 1 in 931,001. This will help you understand which group of numbers to avoid and which group to rely on heavily. If the number falls somewhere between 106 and 179 then you have a pretty high chance of winning the jackpot since the sum of most of the jackpot numbers have fallen into this group.