Let’s talk about something serious, really serious that everyone is talking about – the Mega Millions jackpot. Is it really as big as they say it is?
Well, yes, it’s as huge as you can imagine and even bigger. But no spoilers here. If you’re curious about how big these Mega Millions jackpots can get and how you can win one, read on…
How the Mega Millions Jackpot Works
First, let’s get a little background on Mega Millions. Mega Millions as we know it today was officially launched in 2002, but its roots go back to August 1996 when it was called The Big Game. In 2002, it underwent a makeover and took on the name that excites millions today.
Back then, Mega Millions was only available in eight states: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Virginia. Over time, it’s expanded and played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The reason so many states have joined? The incredible Mega Millions prizes, especially the jackpot.
The jackpot is Mega Millions’ top prize and the most coveted of all. That is obvious. It starts at $20 million and rolls over every time there isn’t a jackpot winner.
In other words, whenever no one hits all five main numbers plus the Mega Ball, the prize money rolls over to the next drawing and keeps growing. This rollover can continue indefinitely until someone wins, allowing the jackpot to reach staggering amounts.
The size of the jackpot depends largely on ticket sales. The more tickets sold, the more money is added to the jackpot. This is especially true when the prize is huge and becomes national news, attracting more players and pushing the prize even higher.
The Biggest Jackpots in Mega Millions History
The biggest Mega Millions jackpot on record was won on August 8, 2023, with an astonishing $1.06 billion prize. This enormous jackpot built up over 30 drawings until one lucky player in Florida hit all six winning numbers and claimed it.
Can you imagine winning something like that? What would you do with that kind of money? What’s the most bizarre thing you’d buy with your lottery winnings?
But of course, this wasn’t the only jaw-dropping Mega Millions jackpot. In fact, Mega Millions is the only lottery game to have given out six jackpots exceeding a billion dollars.
Here’s a list of the top 10 Mega Millions jackpots:
- $1.602 billion – August 8, 2023, won in Florida
- $1.537 billion – October 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
- 1.348 billion – January 13, 2023, won in Maine
- 1.337 billion – July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
- 1.128 billion – March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey
- 1.05 billion – January 22, 2021, won in Michigan
- 810 million-September 11, 2024, won in Texas
- $656 million – March 30, 2012, won in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland
- $648 million – December 17, 2013, won in California and Georgia
- $552 million – June 4, 2024, won in Illinois
What Is the Current Mega Millions Jackpot?
The current Mega Millions jackpot is $619 million. Yes, you read that right: $619 million that has been rolling over for 25 consecutive drawings.
The most recent drawing took place last Friday, December 6, 2024. The winning numbers were 16-21-33-39-45 , with a Mega Ball of 24 and a Megaplier of 2X. Unfortunately, no one matched all six numbers, so the jackpot is still up for grabs.
Mega Millions drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 p.m ET. If you want to stay up to date on the results of your favorite lottery games, your best bet is to download the Lottonia app.
With Lottonia, you can track all your lottery bets, keep an eye on your lucky numbers, and keep track of your winnings. Right after the draw, Lottonia will send you a notification to your phone letting you know if your numbers match the winning numbers. If you win, you’ll be the first to know.
How to Play Mega Millions
We’ve talked a lot about Mega Millions jackpots, and it’s clear how amazing they can be. But how do you actually win one of these jackpots?
Let’s start with the basics. To play Mega Millions, you need to select a total of 6 numbers. First, you pick five numbers for the main white balls, which should be between 1 and 70. The sixth number is for the particular ball called the Mega Ball, which you pick from 1 to 25.
You can choose your numbers based on anything you believe in – whether it’s superstition, cultural significance, important dates, or anything else. If you’re not sure how to pick your numbers, ask Clover, our AI-powered chatbot. Clover is trained with knowledge from all sorts of cultures, beliefs, and disciplines, like numerology, astrology, etc., to give you the winning combination of numbers based on your preferences.
But if you’d instead leave it to chance, you can use the Quick Pick option and let the machine pick your numbers randomly.
You must match all five main numbers plus the Mega Ball to win the jackpot. Your odds are 1 in 302.6 millions.
Learn more: How to play Mega Millions
Secondary Prizes in Mega Millions
Don’t think the jackpot is the only prize that Mega Millions offers – there are eight other prizes. These secondary prizes range from $2 to $1 million, depending on how many numbers you match in the drawing.
For example, to win the $1 million second prize (the one that probably caught your attention), you need to match the five main numbers without the Mega Ball. If you match four main numbers plus the Mega Ball, you win the third prize of $10,000.
But that’s not all; you can win even more! Believe it or not, you can multiply your winnings up to 5 times. Mega Millions has an optional feature called the Megaplier that multiplies the value of the secondary prizes by 2, 3, 4, or even 5 times, depending on the multiplier number.
This multiplier number is selected from a separate pool of 15 balls before the Mega Millions drawing. In this pool, there are five balls marked “2X,” six balls marked “3X,” three balls marked “4X,” and one ball marked “5X.
Adding the Megaplier to your ticket will cost you an extra $1, but it can make a huge difference. Imagine winning the $1 million second prize with a 5X Megaplier – that would turn your prize into $5 million. It’s definitely worth considering if you want to increase your potential winnings.
Still not convinced? Here’s a breakdown of all the Mega Millions prizes and how they change with the Megaplier.
Mega Millions Prizes with Megaplier
| Match | Regular Prize | 2X | 3X | 4X | 5X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Numbers | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| 4 Numbers + Mega Ball | $10,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 |
| 4 Numbers | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 |
| 3 Numbers + Mega Ball | $200 | $400 | $600 | $800 | $1,000 |
| 3 Numbers | $10 | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 |
| 2 Numers + Mega Ball | $10 | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 |
| 1 Number + Mega Ball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 |
| Mega Ball | $2 | $4 | $6 | $8 | $10 |
Summing up…
Now that you know what the Mega Millions jackpot is and how to play to win it, what’s your excuse for not trying?
If you’re feeling lucky, leave a comment and share your method or formula for picking your winning numbers.
See you next time. Good luck!