Mega number
Encyclopedia
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.
Currently, 45 U.S. lotteries
offer Powerball
, Mega Millions
, or both. These games each use two sets of numbers. Powerball draws five rubber balls from a machine containing 59 balls. A sixth number, the Powerball, then is drawn from a second drum, of 39 numbers. The Mega Millions game is similar; 5 of 56, then the Mega Ball from a set of 46 balls.
The double matrixes are chosen so that the odds per basic wager are approximately 1:195 million in Powerball. Likewise, it is roughly 1:176 million in Mega Millions. However, both games allow a player to win by matching only the last number (Power/Mega ball). The odds of winning a jackpot are significantly lower in these two games than in the typical "Pick 6"
(most such games are single-lottery games.
The order in which the five regular numbers are drawn does not matter. A player holding a ticket with 1-2-3-4-5 in one game matches all five regular numbers if the order in which the machine selects these numbers is 5-2-4-3-1. To win a jackpot, the player must match not only the first five numbers drawn (in any order) but also match the "mega number" from the second machine.
A few US lotteries also offer a smaller "mega-number" game. For example, California
offers SuperLotto Plus, where the first five numbers are drawn from a set of 47 white rubber balls; its Mega number is drawn from a set of 27 purple balls by a second machine.
(Pennsylvania
once offered a jackpot game where the order drawn did matter. Its Mix & Match, required players not only to match 5 of 19 numbers, but also the order of the numbers drawn.)
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...
game that comes from a second number field, rather than among the game's "regular" numbers.
Currently, 45 U.S. lotteries
Lotteries in the United States
Lotteries in the United States are run by 46 jurisdictions; 43 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.In the US, the lottery is subject to the laws of each jurisdiction; there is no national lottery.- History :...
offer Powerball
Powerball
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...
, Mega Millions
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 , Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments , increasing when there is no jackpot winner...
, or both. These games each use two sets of numbers. Powerball draws five rubber balls from a machine containing 59 balls. A sixth number, the Powerball, then is drawn from a second drum, of 39 numbers. The Mega Millions game is similar; 5 of 56, then the Mega Ball from a set of 46 balls.
The double matrixes are chosen so that the odds per basic wager are approximately 1:195 million in Powerball. Likewise, it is roughly 1:176 million in Mega Millions. However, both games allow a player to win by matching only the last number (Power/Mega ball). The odds of winning a jackpot are significantly lower in these two games than in the typical "Pick 6"
Pick 6 (lottery)
A six-number lottery game, often having Pick-6 or Lotto as part of its name, is a form of lottery in which six numbers are drawn from a larger pool . Winning the top prize, usually a jackpot, requires a player to match all six regular numbers drawn; the order in which they are drawn is irrelevant...
(most such games are single-lottery games.
The order in which the five regular numbers are drawn does not matter. A player holding a ticket with 1-2-3-4-5 in one game matches all five regular numbers if the order in which the machine selects these numbers is 5-2-4-3-1. To win a jackpot, the player must match not only the first five numbers drawn (in any order) but also match the "mega number" from the second machine.
A few US lotteries also offer a smaller "mega-number" game. For example, California
California State Lottery
The California State Lottery, also known as the California Lottery, began on November 6, 1984, after California voters passed Proposition 37, the California State Lottery Act of 1984, authorizing the creation of a lottery...
offers SuperLotto Plus, where the first five numbers are drawn from a set of 47 white rubber balls; its Mega number is drawn from a set of 27 purple balls by a second machine.
(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...
once offered a jackpot game where the order drawn did matter. Its Mix & Match, required players not only to match 5 of 19 numbers, but also the order of the numbers drawn.)