Mega Millions
Encyclopedia
Progressive jackpot
A progressive jackpot is a jackpot for a gaming machine where the value of the jackpot increases a small amount for every game played...
s have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments (unless the cash option is chosen), increasing when there is no jackpot winner. Reflecting common practice among American lotteries
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
, the jackpot is advertised as a nominal value of annual installments. A cash value option, when chosen by a jackpot winner (see below), pays the approximate present value
Present value
Present value, also known as present discounted value, is the value on a given date of a future payment or series of future payments, discounted to reflect the time value of money and other factors such as investment risk...
of the installments. Mega Millions currently uses a 5/56 (white balls) + 1/46 (the Mega Ball) double matrix to select its winning numbers. Each game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
costs players $1; in most of the 42 Mega Millions jurisdictions, players may opt to pay an extra $1 per game to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, or 4 with the Megaplier. (The Megaplier was made available to all Mega Millions players in January 2011; it began as a Texas-only option.) Mega Millions is drawn at 11pm Eastern time Tuesdays and Fridays, including holidays. The drawings usually are held in Atlanta, Georgia. Mega Millions' second largest annuity jackpot ($380 million), and largest cash jackpot ($240 million), was for the January 4, 2011 drawing; two tickets, one each from Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States near the Idaho state line between Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The population was 17,247 at the 2000 census, and grew to 27,574 people by the 2010 census, making it Idaho's tenth largest city.-History:Post Falls is...
, and Ephrata, Washington
Ephrata, Washington
Ephrata is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,808 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
, matched all six winning numbers, winning $190 million (annuity) each. The holders of each ticket chose the cash option.
Mega Millions' largest annuity jackpot, of $390 million, was for the March 6, 2007 drawing. Two tickets also won this jackpot; one each from Georgia and New Jersey; both sets of winners chose the cash option, splitting $233 million. (As noted below, interest rates change, resulting in different ratios between the cash values and annuity values of jackpots.)
The 2010 expansion of Mega Millions and Powerball
On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and PowerballPowerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
in US lottery jurisdictions with this combination of the 2 lotteries being referred to as the Mega Power Lottery by many users. The expansion occurred on January 31, 2010, as 23 Powerball members began selling Mega Millions tickets for their first drawing on February 2, 2010; likewise, 10 Mega Millions members began selling Powerball tickets for their first drawing on February 3, 2010. Montana (joining Mega Millions on March 1, 2010) was the first jurisdiction to add either game after the cross-sell expansion. Nebraska (March 20, 2010), Oregon (March 28, 2010), Arizona (April 18, 2010), Maine (May 9, 2010), Colorado, and South Dakota (the latter two on May 16, 2010) also have joined Mega Millions since the expansion.
With Louisiana joining Mega Millions in November 2011, Mega Millions and Powerball each are played in 44 jurisdictions, with 43 lotteries selling tickets for both games. California is the only Mega Millions member that does not offer Powerball, while Florida is the only Powerball member that does not offer Mega Millions.
It is likely this cross-selling arrangement is a temporary measure, as lotteries investigate the possibility of merging the two games. (See Cross-selling expansion about a potential "national" lottery game.)
Current and future participating members
Powerball replaced Lotto*America in April 1992; Mega Millions replaced The Big Game in May 2002 (see below for the evolution of the name Mega Millions.)Mega Millions only
{|class="wikitable"!Jurisdiction
!Powerball
!Mega Millions
|----
|Arizona
Arizona Lottery
The Arizona Lottery is run by the government of Arizona. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Its games include Powerball, Mega Millions, Fantasy 5, Pick 3, Cash 4 , 2by2 and The Pick.Arizona requires lottery players to be at least 21; the minimum age was 18 until June 1,...
|1994
|April 18, 2010
|----
|Arkansas
|October 31, 2009
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Connecticut
Connecticut Lottery
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation, also called the CT Lottery, is the official lottery in Connecticut. It was created in 1971 by then-Gov. Thomas Meskill, who signed Public Act No. 865. The first tickets were sold on February 15, 1972. The Connecticut Lottery offers five in-house drawing games...
|1995
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Colorado
Colorado Lottery
The Colorado Lottery is run by the government of Colorado. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association .The Colorado Lottery began on January 24, 1983, initially selling only scratch tickets. Its first drawing took place on April 23, 1983...
|2001
|May 16, 2010
|----
|Delaware
Delaware Lottery
The Delaware Lottery is run by the government of Delaware. Unlike most US lotteries, Delaware offers video lottery; its other games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Cash 5, Play 3, and Play 4....
|1991
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Georgia
Georgia Lottery
The Georgia Lottery is overseen by the government of Georgia, United States. Headquartered in Atlanta and run by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the lottery takes in over US$1 billion yearly. By law, half of the money goes to prizes, one-third to education, and the remainder to operating and...
|January 31, 2010
|1996
|----
|Idaho
Idaho Lottery
The Idaho Lottery, which began on July 19, 1989, is run by the government of Idaho. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association...
|1990
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Illinois
Illinois State Lottery
The Illinois Lottery is run by the government of Illinois. The Lottery was founded in 1974, when U.S. lotteries were confined to the Northeast and Midwestern states. Televised drawings are based at the West Bradley Place studios of Chicago's CW affiliate WGN-TV , and occur twice daily, with the...
|January 31, 2010
|1996
|----
|Indiana
Hoosier Lottery
The Hoosier Lottery is run by the government of Indiana. It is the only US lottery that uses the state's nickname, rather than the state name itself, as its name. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association...
|1990
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Iowa
Iowa Lottery
The Iowa Lottery is run by the government of Iowa. It is a charter member of, and home to, the Multi-State Lottery Association , which administers its games on behalf of the member lotteries...
|1988
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Kansas
Kansas Lottery
The Kansas Lottery is run by the government of Kansas. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association .In November 1986, voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the creation of a government-run lottery. The Kansas Legislature passed the "Kansas Lottery Act" in 1987,...
|1988
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Kentucky
Kentucky Lottery
The Kentucky Lottery, consisting of various games of chance, is a government-regulated form of gambling. The Lottery began in April 1989 after a November 1988 vote in which over 60% of voters cast ballots in favor of it. On April 4, 1989, ticket sales began with first day sales of over $5 million...
|1991
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Maine
Maine Lottery
The Maine Lottery is run by the government of Maine. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association , whose flagship game is Powerball....
|2004
|May 9, 2010
|----
|Maryland
Maryland Lottery
The Maryland Lottery is an independent agency of the Maryland government. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Multi-Match, Keno, Bonus Match 5, and numerous scratch tickets. The Maryland Lottery is headquartered in Suite 330 at 1800 Washington Boulevard, in Montgomery Business Park,...
|January 31, 2010
|1996
|----
|Massachusetts
Massachusetts Lottery
The Massachusetts Lottery was established in 1971, following the legalization of gambling by the Massachusetts General Court, the legislature of the Commonwealth...
|January 31, 2010
|1996
|----
|Michigan
Michigan Lottery
The Michigan Lottery offers numerous on-line and scratch-off games, giving players a wide variety of prize possibilities. Initiated under the authority of Public Act 239 in 1972, the games collect funds to support Michigan’s public school system.- History :...
|January 31, 2010
|1996
|----
|Minnesota
Minnesota State Lottery
The Minnesota Lottery is the official lottery association in Minnesota. The minimum age to purchase Minnesota Lottery tickets is 18.As a result of the 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown, sales of Minnesota Lottery tickets were suspended on July 1, 2011...
|1990
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Missouri
Missouri Lottery
The Missouri Lottery is run by the government of Missouri. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association , whose first drawing was held in 1988.-History:...
|1988
|January 31, 2010
|----
|Montana
Montana Lottery
The Montana Lottery is run by the government of Montana. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . The Montana Lottery has a large number of games, such as scratch tickets, Powerball, Hot Lotto, Wild Card 2, and Montana Cash....
|1989
|March 1, 2010
|----
|Nebraska
Nebraska Lottery
The Nebraska Lottery is run by the government of Nebraska. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, 2by2, Nebraska Pick 5, Pick 3, and MyDaY....
|1994
|March 20, 2010
|-
|New Hampshire
New Hampshire Lottery
Begun in 1964, the New Hampshire Lottery is the oldest US mainland-based lottery. New Hampshire's games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Hot Lotto, and numerous scratch tickets.New Hampshire is part of the Multi-State Lottery Association , which it joined in 1995...
|November 1995
|January 31, 2010
|-
|New Jersey
New Jersey Lottery
The New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...
|January 31, 2010
|1999
|-
|New Mexico
New Mexico Lottery
The New Mexico Lottery is run by the government of New Mexico. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Pick3, and Roadrunner Cash. ....
|1996
|January 31, 2010
|-
|New York
New York Lottery
The New York Lottery began in 1967 as the third modern U.S. lottery, after Puerto Rico's began in 1934, and New Hampshire's in 1964. It provides revenue for public education, and is based in Schenectady.-History:...
|January 31, 2010
|2002
|-
|North Carolina
North Carolina Education Lottery
The North Carolina Education Lottery is run by the government of North Carolina. It was established after Gov. Mike Easley signed the North Carolina State Lottery Act and the 2005 Appropriations Act....
|2006
|January 31, 2010
|-
|North Dakota
North Dakota Lottery
The North Dakota Lottery is run by the government of North Dakota. The Lottery began in 2004. It is unique among US lotteries in that it is allowed only to offer multi-jurisdictional games, i.e., North Dakota-only games cannot be sold. As a result, all of its games are part of the Multi-State...
|2004
|January 31, 2010
|-
|Ohio
Ohio Lottery
The Ohio Lottery is run by the Ohio Lottery Commission. Its games include Pick 3 and Pick 4 , Rolling Cash 5, Ten-OH!, Keno, Classic Lotto, Powerball, Mega Millions, and scratch tickets. The marketing slogan is "Take a chance on education. Odds are, you'll have fun!" In 1973, the creation of the...
|April 16, 2010
|2002
|-
|Oklahoma
Oklahoma Lottery
The Oklahoma Lottery, which began on October 12, 2005, is operated by the government of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Lottery is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association .As with most US lotteries, the minimum age to purchase a ticket is 18.-History:...
|2006
|January 31, 2010
|-
|Oregon
Oregon Lottery
The Oregon Lottery is run by the government of Oregon. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association .- History :The Oregon Lottery was enabled by an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, approved by voters in the 1984 general election. The Lottery began the next year, eventually offering...
|1988
|March 28, 2010
|-
|Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery is operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lottery was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; two months later, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first executive director...
|2002
|January 31, 2010
|-
|Rhode Island
Rhode Island Lottery
The Rhode Island Lottery is run by the government of Rhode Island. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Rhode Island Lottery games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Wild Money, keno, and numerous scratch tickets...
|1988
|January 31, 2010
|-
|South Carolina
South Carolina Education Lottery
The South Carolina Education Lottery began in 2002.South Carolina is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association , best known for Powerball...
|2002
|January 31, 2010
|-
|South Dakota
South Dakota Lottery
The South Dakota Lottery is run by the government of South Dakota. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . The Lottery is headquartered in Pierre; it is a self-funded endeavor...
|1990
|May 16, 2010
|-
|Tennessee
Tennessee Lottery
The Tennessee Lottery is run by the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation , which was created on June 11, 2003 by the Tennessee General Assembly through the Tennessee Education Lottery Implementation Law....
|2004
|January 31, 2010
|-
|Texas
Texas Lottery
The Texas Lottery is the government-operated lottery available throughout Texas. It is operated by the Texas Lottery Commission, headquartered in downtown Austin.-History:...
|January 31, 2010
|2003
|-
|US Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands Lottery (US)
A lottery exists within the United States Virgin Islands, the only US lottery outside the mainland and Puerto Rico. The USVI is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . It is the smallest US lottery to offer either Powerball or Mega Millions or scratchcard games...
|2002
|October 4, 2010
|-
|Vermont
Vermont Lottery
The Vermont Lottery began fiscal operations as an enterprise fund in October 1977, following a 1976 referendum, and the enactment of Public Act No. 82 by the 1977 General Assembly. It is run by the Vermont Lottery Commission headquartered in Berlin...
|2003
|January 31, 2010
|-
|Virginia
Virginia State Lottery
The Virginia State Lottery is run by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its residents voted for a government-run lottery in 1987. It is one of 43 lotteries which sells Mega Millions tickets, and one of 44 offering Powerball. In 2007, the Lottery funded Virginia's K-12 public schools with $437 million,...
|January 31, 2010
|1996
|-
|Washington
Washington's Lottery
Washington's Lottery is run by the government of Washington. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Keno, Hit 5, and scratch games.-Games:Washington's Lottery offers several draw games, plus scratch ticket games...
|January 31, 2010
|2002
|-
|West Virginia
West Virginia Lottery
The West Virginia Lottery is run by the government of West Virginia. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . It offers games such as Powerball, Mega Millions, and scratch tickets...
|1988
|January 31, 2010
|-
|Wisconsin
Wisconsin Lottery
The Wisconsin Lottery is run by the government of Wisconsin. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Its games consist of Mega Millions, Powerball, Megabucks, Supercash!, Badger 5, Pick 3, Pick 4, and scratch games....
|1992
|January 31, 2010
|-
California: June 2005. The first Mega Millions drawing that included California-bought tickets was conducted in Hollywood.
The Big Game
Georgia Lottery
The Georgia Lottery is overseen by the government of Georgia, United States. Headquartered in Atlanta and run by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the lottery takes in over US$1 billion yearly. By law, half of the money goes to prizes, one-third to education, and the remainder to operating and...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on August 31, 1996, for the new game, then known as The Big Game. Drawings were initially held Fridays only.
The Georgia Lottery was a member of MUSL at the time and wanted to sell both games for the remainder of 1996; however, within a few days, Georgia was forcibly removed from MUSL, returning with the 2010 cross-selling expansion.
Beginning in January 1999, jackpot winners were given the option to receive their prize in cash
Present value
Present value, also known as present discounted value, is the value on a given date of a future payment or series of future payments, discounted to reflect the time value of money and other factors such as investment risk...
.
In May 1999, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
joined The Big Game, the only jurisdiction to do so before The Big Game became Mega Millions in 2002.
The Big Game Mega Millions
New York and Ohio joined The Big Game on May 15, 2002, when the game was changed to its second name, The Big Game Mega Millions, temporarily retaining the old name and its "gold ball" logo. The "Big Money Ball" became the "Mega Ball." After the game's name was altered, the yellow ball in the new Mega Millions logo read "The Big Game." The first (The Big Game) Mega Millions drawing was held on May 17, 2002. The first three additional lotteries offering Mega Millions were Washington (September 2002), TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(2003), and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(2005). California was the last addition to Mega Millions before the cross-sell expansion of 2010. Montana joined Mega Millions on March 1, 2010, the first addition to Mega Millions after the cross-sell expansion.
When Texas added Mega Millions in 2003, it began offering an option then available only to Texas Lottery players, the Megaplier, which is similar to Powerball's Power Play. The 11 Mega Millions lotteries without Megaplier on the January 31, 2010 cross-selling date gradually added the multiplier; by January 2011, all Mega Millions lotteries offered the Megaplier.
On June 24, 2005, to commemorate California joining Mega Millions, the drawing was held in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, with Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
assisting Glenn Burns for the draw.
For the drawing of November 15, 2005, a group called "The Lucky 7" held the only jackpot-winning ticket, purchased in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, winning $315 million. They chose the cash option, splitting $175 million before Federal tax. This remains the largest prize won by a single Mega Millions ticket.
On March 6, 2007, the Mega Millions jackpot reached $390 million, which is the record for the largest jackpot in US history. The jackpot was shared by two tickets, both matching the numbers of 16-22-29-39-42 and Mega Ball 20. Both winners chose the cash option, with each share $116,557,083 before withholdings.
2010 cross-sell expansion
The New Jersey Lottery, among others, in early 2009 announced it would seek permission to sell Powerball tickets alongside Mega Millions. In October 2009, an agreement between Mega Millions and MUSL allowed all US lotteries, including New Jersey's, to offer both games. On January 31, 2010, Mega Millions expanded to include 23 Powerball lotteries. As of that date, 35 jurisdictions were participating in Mega Millions. On the same day, 10 existing Mega Millions lotteries began selling Powerball tickets, for a then total of 43 lotteries. Ohio joined Powerball on April 16, 2010; currently, only California offers Mega Millions without also offering Powerball. On March 1, 2010, Montana became the first Powerball member to add Mega Millions after the cross-sell expansion. On March 20, 2010, Nebraska became the 37th Mega Millions member. On March 28, 2010, Oregon became the 38th Mega Millions member. Arizona, on April 18, 2010, became Mega Millions' 39th member. Maine, on May 9, 2010, became Mega Millions' 40th member. Colorado and South Dakota added Mega Millions on May 16, 2010, bringing the total to 42 jurisdictions The most recent addition to Mega Millions was the US Virgin Islands in October 2010.Presumably due to their experience with the Power Play option for Powerball, all 23 lotteries joining Mega Millions on January 31, 2010 immediately offered Megaplier to their players. The Megaplier continues to be drawn by Texas Lottery computers, even though all Mega Millions members offer the multiplier.. Montana, offering Powerball before the expansion date, became the 24th lottery to offer Megaplier. Nebraska became the 25th lottery to offer Megaplier. Oregon became the 26th lottery to offer Megaplier. Arizona, by joining Mega Millions, became the 27th lottery to offer Megaplier. Maine, by joining Mega Millions, became the 28th lottery to offer Megaplier. Colorado and South Dakota joining Mega Millions, raised the number to 37 lotteries offering Megaplier.
Mega Millions tickets bought on or after September 12, 2010, with the Megaplier activated automatically win $1 million if the second-prize level is won.
A "combined" game was expected to become available by October 2011; each game would have cost $5. http://nhlottery.org/Pages/AboutUs/meetings/tslc/20100402minutes.pdf
On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first Mega Millions member (just before the cross-sell expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning ticket for Powerball after joining Powerball. The ticket was worth over $211 million annuity (the cash option was chosen.)
On May 28, 2010, North Carolina became the first Powerball member (just before the cross-selling expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket after joining Mega Millions. That jackpot was $12 million annuity.
Basic game
Since June 2005, a player picks, or allows the lottery terminal to pick, five different numbers from 1 through 56 (white balls) and one number from 1 through 46 (the Mega Ball numberMega number
A mega number, usually known as a powerball or mega ball, is a number drawn in a lottery game that comes from a second number field, rather than among the game's "regular" numbers....
, a gold-colored ball). The Mega Ball number is drawn from a separate machine, so it can be a duplicate of one of the white ball numbers. The Mega Ball number cannot cross over to be used for matching a white ball number, or vice versa. Each play (a selection of six numbers for one drawing) costs $1. Tickets may be obtained from retail locations; some lotteries also allow subscription play.
Two drawing machines are used in Mega Millions. The model used for Mega Millions is the Criterion II, manufactured by Smartplay International of Edgewater Park
Edgewater Park Township, New Jersey
Edgewater Park Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a northeastern Delaware Valley suburb of Philadelphia...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The balls are moved around by means of counter-rotating arms which randomly mix the balls. One by one, the five white ball numbers drop through a hole in the bottom of the mixing drum. There are 56 balls in the first machine; the 46 Mega Balls in the second machine are gold
Gold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
.
Previous incarnations of The Big Game and Mega Millions have used different matrices:
{| class="wikitable"
!Date
!Pick 5 out of
!Pick 1 out of
|-
|September 6, 1996
|align="center"|50
|align="center"|25
|-
|January 13, 1999
|align="center"|50
|align="center"|36
|-
|May 15, 2002
|align="center"|52
|align="center"|52
|-
|June 22, 2005 (current)
|align="center"|56
|align="center"|46
|}
Megaplier (available to most Mega Millions players)
Mega Millions players, in 42 of its 43 jurisdictions, have the option to activate a multiplierMultiplier
The term multiplier may refer to:In electrical engineering:* Binary multiplier, a digital circuit to perform rapid multiplication of two numbers in binary representation* Analog multiplier, a device that multiplies two analog signals...
, called Megaplier; it is functionally similar to Powerball's Power Play
Powerplay
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
. (Megaplier is not yet offered in California.) By doubling the wager in a game, players have an opportunity to multiply any non-jackpot prize by 2, 3, or 4. The Megaplier is drawn by the Texas Lottery (before the cross-sell expansion on January 31, 2010, it was the only lottery to offer Megaplier) by a random number generator (RNG). Megaplier differs from Power Play in two ways: (1) there is no 5x Megaplier, and (2) the odds for each Megaplier possibility are not uniform (the 4x multiplier is heavily weighted so that it has a 12-in-21 chance of being selected.
{| class="wikitable"
!Megaplier
!Odds
|-
|2x
|2:21 (9.5%)
|-
|3x
|7:21 (23.3%)
|-
|4x
|12:21 (57.1%)
|-
|}
Despite not having a 5x possibility, the extra weighting for a higher Megaplier results in the average expected Megaplier to be 3.476x. This is similar to Powerball's Power Play expectation of just over 3.5x.
Megaplier wagers made for drawings on or after September 12, 2010 that win second prize are automatically elevated to 4x, winning $1 million. A $1 million second-prize guarantee previously was added to Powerball's Power Play.
As part of the Megaplier expansion to all Mega Millions members, its RNG drawings are expected to move to Atlanta, Mega Millions' home base.
Winning and odds
A player wins a prize according to the following chart:{| cellspacing=3; class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Matches
!rowspan=2|Prize
!rowspan=2|Approximate
probability
of winning
|-
!Normal balls
(pool of 56)
!Mega ball
(pool of 46)
|-
| align="center" | 5
| align="center" | 1
| align="center" | Jackpot
|1 in 175,711,536 (56C5×46)
|-
| align="center" |5
| align="center" |0
| align="center" | $250,000
|1 in 3,904,701 (bullshit)
|-
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |1
| align="center" | $10,000
|1 in 689,065 (bullshit)
|-
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |0
| align="center" | $150
|1 in 15,313
|-
| align="center" |3
| align="center" |1
| align="center" | $150
|1 in 13,781
|-
| align="center" |2
| align="center" |1
| align="center" | $10
|1 in 844
|-
| align="center" |3
| align="center" |0
| align="center" | $7
|1 in 306
|-
| align="center" |1
| align="center" |1
| align="center" | $3
|1 in 141
|-
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |1
| align="center" | $2
|1 in 75
|-
|}
Overall odds: 1 in 306.11 for winning at least a $10 prize, 1 in 49.89 for winning any prize.
In California, prize levels are paid on a parimutuel basis, rather than the fixed lower-tier amounts for winners in other Mega Millions jurisdictions.
Payment options
In Georgia, New JerseyNew Jersey Lottery
The New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...
, Oklahoma, and Texas
Texas Lottery
The Texas Lottery is the government-operated lottery available throughout Texas. It is operated by the Texas Lottery Commission, headquartered in downtown Austin.-History:...
, players must choose, in advance, whether they wish to collect a jackpot in cash or annuity. Georgia and New Jersey winners can change an annuity ticket to cash; however, the choice is binding in Oklahoma and Texas.
If a jackpot prize is not claimed within the required time limit, each of the participating Mega Millions members get back all the money they contributed to that jackpot. The 43 jurisdictions use unclaimed prizes for different purposes; most of the 43 Mega Millions jurisdictions set aside unclaimed winnings for educational purposes.
In 2007, a $31 million prize went unclaimed in New York. Many prizes of $250,000 each have been unclaimed, including several in Michigan for 2007 drawings.
Claiming prizes
Mega Millions winners have either 180 days (California non-jackpot prizes only) or one year to claim prizes, including the jackpot (although some Mega Millions winners lose the right to collect a jackpot in cash if they wait more than 60 days after the drawing).The minimum age to purchase a Mega Millions ticket is 18; there are three exceptions: Nebraska
Nebraska Lottery
The Nebraska Lottery is run by the government of Nebraska. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, 2by2, Nebraska Pick 5, Pick 3, and MyDaY....
(19), with Arizona
Arizona Lottery
The Arizona Lottery is run by the government of Arizona. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Its games include Powerball, Mega Millions, Fantasy 5, Pick 3, Cash 4 , 2by2 and The Pick.Arizona requires lottery players to be at least 21; the minimum age was 18 until June 1,...
and Iowa
Iowa Lottery
The Iowa Lottery is run by the government of Iowa. It is a charter member of, and home to, the Multi-State Lottery Association , which administers its games on behalf of the member lotteries...
having a minimum age of 21. Louisiana's minimum age of 21 will apply to Mega Millions when it becomes available there on November 16, 2011.
Generally (an exception is Virginia), minors can win on tickets received as gifts; the rules according to each Mega Millions member vary for minors receiving prizes.
Rules vary according to the applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdiction where the ticket is sold, and the winner's residence (e.g. if a New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
an buys a winning ticket near their workplace in Manhattan). Mega Millions winnings are generally exempt from state income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
in California; New Hampshire, Texas and Washington have no state income tax. On the other hand, residents of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
pay city tax in addition to state and federal taxes.
The draw
Drawings are usually held at WSB-TVWSB-TV
WSB-TV, virtual channel 2.1 , is the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship television station of Cox Enterprises and its Cox Media Group subsidiary...
in Atlanta, Georgia. The original host was WSB's chief meteorologist, Glenn Burns
Glenn Burns
Glenn N. Burns is the current chief meteorologist at WSB-TV in Atlanta. He is an AMS certified meteorologist and appears on the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts Monday-Friday. He also hosted the weekly Mega Millions lottery drawings, based in Atlanta.-Biography:...
. Currently, most drawings are emceed by the full-time host of Georgia Lottery drawings, John Crow, with Courtney Cason subbing on occasion. For jackpots in excess of $200 million, the drawing sometimes is moved to Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, with New York Lottery announcer Yolanda Vega co-hosting.
Before January 31, 2010, Mega Millions was the only multi-jurisdictional lottery whose drawings were carried nationally, instead of airing only in participating jurisdictions. Powerball drawings also began to air after that date nationally via Chicago cable superstation WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
. WGN simulcasts Mega Millions drawings on its national WGN America superstation feed on Tuesdays and Fridays immediately following WGN's 9 p.m. (Central time) newscast with Powerball drawings being aired on Wednesdays and Saturdays after the 9 p.m. newscast (though both drawings air a minute later than on some television stations that carry either drawing).
Record jackpots (listed by cash value)
{| class="wikitable"|- bgcolor="#efefef"
!Cash value
!Annuity value
!Drawing date
!Winner(s)
!Description
|-
|$240m
|$380m
|January 4, 2011
|2 (ID
Idaho Lottery
The Idaho Lottery, which began on July 19, 1989, is run by the government of Idaho. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association...
, WA
Washington's Lottery
Washington's Lottery is run by the government of Washington. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Keno, Hit 5, and scratch games.-Games:Washington's Lottery offers several draw games, plus scratch ticket games...
)
|Global record for cash value jackpot
|-
|$233m
|$390m
|March 6, 2007
|2 (GA
Georgia Lottery
The Georgia Lottery is overseen by the government of Georgia, United States. Headquartered in Atlanta and run by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the lottery takes in over US$1 billion yearly. By law, half of the money goes to prizes, one-third to education, and the remainder to operating and...
, NJ
New Jersey Lottery
The New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...
)
|Global record for annuitized jackpot
|-
|$210m
|$336m
|August 28, 2009
|2 (NY
New York Lottery
The New York Lottery began in 1967 as the third modern U.S. lottery, after Puerto Rico's began in 1934, and New Hampshire's in 1964. It provides revenue for public education, and is based in Schenectady.-History:...
, CA)
|NY winner chose annuity (the cash/annuity choice made "when playing" required per then-NY Lottery rules)
|-
|$208.3m
|$330m
|August 31, 2007
|4 (NJ
New Jersey Lottery
The New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...
, MD
Maryland Lottery
The Maryland Lottery is an independent agency of the Maryland government. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Multi-Match, Keno, Bonus Match 5, and numerous scratch tickets. The Maryland Lottery is headquartered in Suite 330 at 1800 Washington Boulevard, in Montgomery Business Park,...
, TX
Texas Lottery
The Texas Lottery is the government-operated lottery available throughout Texas. It is operated by the Texas Lottery Commission, headquartered in downtown Austin.-History:...
, VA)
|-
|$202.9m
|$319m
|March 25, 2011
|1 (NY)
|Largest MM jackpot won on 1 ticket
|-
|$180m
|$363m
|May 9, 2000
|2 (IL, MI
Michigan Lottery
The Michigan Lottery offers numerous on-line and scratch-off games, giving players a wide variety of prize possibilities. Initiated under the authority of Public Act 239 in 1972, the games collect funds to support Michigan’s public school system.- History :...
)
|Largest The Big Game jackpot
|}
2012 price increase in Powerball
In January 2012, Mega Millions' rival Powerball will be altered; among the changes will be a price increase of $1 for each play, which will mean a base game will cost $2, or, $3 with the Power Play option.There are no plans to change the price of a Mega Millions play, with or without the Megaplier.
The price increase for playing Powerball was a major factor in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
deciding to pursue joining Mega Millions. Louisiana will join Mega Millions on November 16, 2011.
Miscellany
In the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the legislature in AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, fearing a monumental loss of revenue, passed legislation the following month, which was signed by Gov. George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, that included joining a multi-jurisdictional lottery game. Around the same time, for entirely different reasons, Ohio's governor also gave the green light to joining a multi-jurisdictional game. Both lotteries opted to join the then-The Big Game, which, at the time, had seven members. The added populations of the two new jurisdictions, in turn, led to a larger double matrix (actually, the first machine continued to hold 52 balls, while 16 gold balls were added in the second, meaning there were 52 numbers to pick from in each part of a $1 game.) On May 15, 2002, the game was renamed The Big Game Mega Millions; soon after, it became just Mega Millions. Except for the 2010 cross-selling expansion, this was the only time The Big Game, Mega Millions, or Powerball simultaneously added more than one lottery.
In 2005, Mega Millions was the target of a mailing scam. A letter bearing the Mega Millions logo was used in a string of lottery scams designed to trick people into providing personal financial information by cashing bogus checks. The letter, which had been sent to people in several states via standard mail, included a check for what the scammers said was an unclaimed Mega Millions prize. If the check was cashed, it bounced, but not before the bank stamped it with a routing number and personal account information and sent it back to the fraudulent organization, providing them with the recipients' financial information.
A budget impasse due to the 2006 New Jersey Government shutdown led to the temporary closing of its less-important agencies on July 1, 2006. Among the casualties were the Atlantic City casinos and the New Jersey Lottery
New Jersey Lottery
The New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...
. Not only were New Jersey's in-house games (such as Pick-6) not drawn for about a week, but all New Jersey lottery terminals were shut down, meaning Mega Millions could not be played in New Jersey, even though Mega Millions was drawn as usual. (A similar shutdown happened in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
on July 1, 2011.)
Elecia Battle made national headlines in January 2004 when she claimed that she had lost the winning ticket in the Mega Millions drawing of December 30, 2003. She then filed a lawsuit against the woman who had come forward with the ticket, Rebecca Jemison. Several days later, when confronted with contradictory evidence, she admitted that she had lied. She was charged with filing a false police report the following day. As a result of this false report, Battle was fined $1,000, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, and required to compensate the police and courts for various costs incurred.
The January 4, 2011 Mega Millions drawing drew attention for its similarity to "The Numbers," a sequence of six numbers that served as a plot device of the television series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. One such usage involved character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes playing the sequence in a similar "Mega Lotto" game, winning a nine-figure jackpot and subsequently experiencing numerous misfortunes in his personal life. The first three numbers (4, 8, 15) and mega ball (42) in the real-life drawing matched the first three numbers and the final number (which Hurley also used as the mega ball number) in the Lost sequence. Players who played The Numbers won $150 ($118 in California) for a non-Megaplier ticket; $600 with the multiplier.
The 12 original (before the 2010 cross-sell expansion) Mega Millions members have each produced at least one Mega Millions jackpot winner.
External links
- MegaMillions.com - Official site
- Powerball.com/MegaMillions - Mega Millions on Powerball Official Site
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Telemarketing and "Telephone Services: Prizes & Sweepstakes".
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission. "New Spin On Sweepstakes Scams."
- Portalseven.com, Map of Jackpot Winning Locations - Check on the map where the Jackpot winning tickets were sold