USA Lottery — Tuesday & Friday
Mega Millions — Guide, Results & How to Play
Mega Millions is one of America's two giant multi-state lotteries, played across 44 jurisdictions. With no jackpot cap and draws every Tuesday and Friday, it has produced some of the largest lottery prizes in history.
Current Jackpot: $15 Million+
Players worldwide can enter Mega Millions via a licensed lottery concierge service — official tickets purchased on your behalf from within the USA.
Play Mega Millions Now →What Is Mega Millions?
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery played twice a week across 44 US jurisdictions. Originally launched as The Big Game on 31 August 1996 — with the first draw on 6 September — it started with six states: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Virginia.
A Tuesday draw was added in February 1998 following enormous early popularity. The game rebranded as Mega Millions in May 2002. In January 2010, a cross-selling agreement with Powerball added 23 more state lotteries, cementing its place as one of the two great American multi-state lotteries.
Like Powerball, Mega Millions has no jackpot cap — it rolls over until won. The starting jackpot is $15 million. Players outside the USA can participate through a licensed concierge service. Winnings are in USD and subject to US federal withholding tax.
Mega Millions vs Powerball
How to Play Mega Millions
Five main numbers plus the Mega Ball
Pick 5 Main Numbers
Choose 5 numbers from 1 to 70. Use Easy Pick for a computer-generated random selection if you prefer.
Pick the Mega Ball
Choose 1 Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. Drawn from a separate drum — match it to win or significantly boost lower tier prizes.
Add Mega Plier (Optional)
For an extra $1, add Mega Plier to multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x. Not available in California. Not applicable to the jackpot.
Watch the Draw
Draws take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00pm ET. Results published immediately. 9 prize tiers — match just the Mega Ball to win $2.
Claim Your Prize
Prizes paid via your concierge service in USD. US federal tax withheld at source. Winners choose lump sum or annuity over 29 years.
Latest Mega Millions Results
Most recent draw — Tuesday & Friday
Winning Numbers
| Numbers Matched | Prize ($) | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 5+1 🔵 | $163,000,000.00 | 0 |
| 5 | $1,000,000.00 | 0 |
| 4+1 🔵 | $10,000.00 | 4 |
| 4 | $500.00 | 91 |
| 3+1 🔵 | $200.00 | 269 |
| 3 | $10.00 | 7,172 |
| 2+1 🔵 | $10.00 | 6,411 |
| 1+1 🔵 | $7.00 | 51,296 |
| 1 🔵 | $5.00 | 132,495 |
Results provided via partner API. Always verify with your official lottery operator.
Mega Millions History
From The Big Game to a billion-dollar lottery
1996
Launched as The Big Game
The lottery launched on 31 August 1996 with the first draw on 6 September. Six founding states participated: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Virginia. The original format paid jackpot winners in annual instalments only.
1998–1999
Tuesday Draw & Cash Option Added
A Tuesday draw was added in February 1998 following exceptional early response. In January 1999, a lump sum cash value option was introduced, giving winners the choice between annual instalments and a one-time payment.
May 2002
Rebranded as Mega Millions
The game relaunched as Mega Millions on 17 May 2002. The first draw under the new name produced an immediate winner — a Chicago player claimed $28 million from a single ticket. The jackpot restarted at $12 million and was won again the following week.
March 2012
$656 Million Record at the Time
The jackpot reached $656 million on 30 March 2012 — a world record at the time. Three winning tickets shared the prize, from Kansas (unclaimed), Illinois and Maryland. Mega Millions had by this point grown to 44 participating jurisdictions.
October 2018
$1.537 Billion — Current Record
A single ticket holder in South Carolina won the current Mega Millions record jackpot of $1.537 billion — the largest lottery prize ever won by a single ticket at the time. The winner chose to remain anonymous. Mega Millions has since awarded seven jackpots exceeding $300 million.
Mega Millions Questions
The most common questions answered
Pick 5 main numbers from 1–70 and 1 Mega Ball from 1–25. For an extra $1 you can add Mega Plier to multiply non-jackpot prizes. Draws take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11pm ET. All 6 numbers must match to win the jackpot. There are 9 prize tiers in total, with the lowest prize being $2 for matching just the Mega Ball.
Mega Plier is an optional add-on costing $1 extra per ticket. It multiplies any non-jackpot prize by 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x — so a $1,000,000 second tier prize could become $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 with Mega Plier. It is not available in California, which operates as a pari-mutuel state where prize amounts are based on ticket sales and number of winners rather than fixed amounts.
Yes — there is no restriction on non-US citizens winning Mega Millions. Players outside the USA can enter through a licensed lottery concierge service, which buys official tickets from within the USA on your behalf. Prizes are paid in USD and US federal tax is withheld at source on larger prizes. Always use a licensed, reputable concierge service.
California operates as a pari-mutuel state, meaning prize amounts are not fixed — they are calculated based on ticket sales and the number of winners in that draw. This means California winners may receive different amounts to winners in other states for the same prize tier. The Mega Plier feature is not available in California for this reason.
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