Buy Mega Millions Tickets Online

Mega Millions, one of the biggest games in the United States and the world, barely needs an introduction.

Along with the US Powerball, this popular lottery often produces some of the biggest winners in history and shows no signs of that changing.

In the following guide, we’ll cover everything worth knowing about it, including how you can buy Mega Millions tickets online.

About Mega Millions

Mega Millions has been around since 1996, when it was originally called The Big Game.

In 2002, it was temporarily renamed The Big Game Mega Millions before settling on the current name in May of the same year.

During its first draw, this lottery game was only offered in six states, but it quickly grew to its current offering of 45 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands.

The only states that don’t sell Mega Millions tickets are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. However, people from around the world can play Mega Millions online on many international lottery websites.

The Mega Millions format has changed a few times over the years, with the most recent change occurring in October 2017.

The format changed to include a main ball pool of 70 instead of 75, while the gold Mega Ball pool increased from 15 balls to 25.

Mega Millions Draws

During Mega Millions draws, five balls are selected from the main ball pool and one from the Mega Ball pool.

Draws take place every week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 pm EST at WSB-TV studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

The drawings are supervised by the Georgia Lottery.

How to Play Mega Millions

US residents can buy Mega Millions tickets from anywhere lottery tickets are sold in the 47 participating localities. Players residing outside of the US can buy lottery tickets from most reputable lottery sites.

To play, individuals must choose five numbers from the main pool and one additional number from the Mega Ball pool. The main ball pool includes numbers 1 through 70, and the Mega Ball pool includes numbers 1 through 25.

To win the jackpot, the ticket must match all five main numbers and the Mega Ball.

The cost of a single line is US $2 when purchased officially within the country.

The Megaplier option costs an additional $1, so the total cost of a ticket with this included is $3. All states but California offer the Megaplier option.

Lines may be slightly more expensive when purchasing tickets online.

Players have the option of choosing their own numbers or selecting the randomized Quick Pick option.

Mega Millions Prizes and Odds

As of the October 2017 change, each Mega Millions jackpot starts at a minimum of $40 million.

If nobody wins the jackpot, the prize rolls over, with the amount increasing by a minimum of $5 million each time there is no winner.

The rollover feature is what allows for the possibility of record-breaking jackpots.

The Megaplier option gives players the opportunity to multiply their lower-tier wins by up to five times.

The jackpot odds are 302,575,350, which are the second-toughest odds of any lottery game in the world.

The only game that's tougher is Italy SuperEnalotto (1 in 622,614,630) and just behind it is US Powerball (1 in 292,201,338).

Fortunately, there are many fantastic Mega Millions syndicates available online. The best of these can improve the jackpot odds to just 1 in 300,174!

There are nine prize tiers altogether, and these are the prizes available per numbers matched:

As of the October 2017 format changes, these are the odds of winning each prize:

Claiming Mega Millions Prizes

Players who purchased their ticket in any state that offers Mega Millions have one year to claim prizes. Those who purchased their ticket in California have 180 days. 

Jackpot winners can choose between collecting their prize as a lump sum or as an annuity.

Those who choose the lump sum option will receive the cash value of the annuity, which pays out over 30 years, with a 5% increase each year.

Some states require that winners choose between the lump sum and annuity options in advance, while others give players 60 days after winning to choose.

If multiple players match the winning numbers, then the jackpot will be split evenly between all of the winners.

Jackpot prizes are subject to taxing, though the amount and type of tax varies by states. For instance, California, Delaware, Florida, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not charge state taxes on lottery winnings. Winners in these states must only pay the federal tax rate of 24%.

Winners in other states may have to pay an additional tax of as much as 8.82% that varies from state to state.

International players who purchase their tickets online must pay a flat federal rate of 30%. If your country also charges taxes on lotto winnings, they you may be liable to pay more upon transferring the money.

Notable Mega Millions Winners

Mega Millions has awarded many individual jackpots in the hundreds of millions, but the largest jackpot in the lottery’s history was an astonishing $1.537 billion.

The jackpot was won by a single player from South Carolina in October 2018, though they (wisely) waited until March 2019 to anonymously claim their prize.

Mega Millions-Should You Play?

Mega Millions is one of the most reputable lotteries in the world.

It is easy to play and buy lotto tickets online for, it often features some of the largest jackpot prizes, and it gives players many chances to win through its bi-weekly draws.

Though the odds of winning the jackpot are difficult to beat, the lower prize tiers have good odds, making this a very entertaining way to spend a few dollars every week.