Mega Millions
Mega Millions is famous for offering some of the largest jackpots in the US, giving players across 47 participating states and jurisdictions two chances every week to win big prizes.
The New Jersey Lottery joined in May 1999, when Mega Millions was known as The Big Game. So far, the Mega Millions jackpot was won 25 times in New Jersey, placing the Garden State in top three states with the most winners.
How to Play
If you want to get involved in the Mega Millions game, visit your local authorized New Jersey lottery retailer and ask for a ticket. Here's how you can enter:
- Pick five main numbers from 1 to 70, along with a Mega Ball number between 1 and 25. If you want a random set of numbers, simply mark the Quick Pick option.
- Decide whether you want to add the Megaplier option to your ticket.
- Tick the 'Multi Draw' option if you want to enter multiple draws. You can enter the same set of numbers in up to eight consecutive drawings.
- Interested only in winning the jackpot? The Just the Jackpot option gives you two Quick Pick tickets for the price of $3. Mark the number of tickets you want to buy.
The price of a ticket is $2 per play. Adding the Megaplier option will cost you an extra $1.
Draws are held on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 11:00 pm. You need to purchase your tickets before 10:45 pm on the day of the draw.
Megaplier
The Megaplier option gives players a chance to increase their non-jackpot prizes. When Mega Millions draws are held, an additional draw takes place for the Megaplier number, between 2 and 5, to be selected. The non-jackpot prizes will be then multiplied by that number.
Just the Jackpot
Who says you can't shoot for the stars? Or, in this case, for the jackpot. The Just the Jackpot option allows players to enter the game only for the grand prize. The main advantage is that the price for two lines is only $3, and normally that would be $4. The lines are Quick Pick, meaning you will get two random sets of numbers.
Odds and Prizes
Mega Millions gives its players many opportunities to win with nine different prize tiers. You can the price of your ticket back by just matching the Mega Ball. The jackpot starts at $20 million and it rolls over until it is won, with no rollover cap or jackpot cap in place.
| Prize | Match | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Jackpot | 5 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| $1 million | 5 numbers | 1 in 12,607,306 |
| $10,000 | 4 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 931,001 |
| $500 | 4 numbers | 1 in 38,792 |
| $200 | 3 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 14,547 |
| $10 | 3 numbers | 1 in 606 |
| $10 | 2 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 693 |
| $4 | 1 number + Mega Ball | 1 in 89 |
| $2 | Mega Ball | 1 in 37 |
On the fence with adding the Megaplier option to your Mega Millions ticket? Here's how much bigger your non-jackpot prizes could be.
| Match | 2x Megaplier | 3x Megaplier | 4x Megaplier | 5x Megaplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 numbers | $2 million | $3 million | $4 million | $5 million |
| 4 numbers + Mega Ball | $20,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 |
| 4 numbers | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 |
| 3 numbers + Mega Ball | $400 | $600 | $800 | $1,000 |
| 3 numbers | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 |
| 2 numbers + Mega Ball | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 |
| 1 number + Mega Ball | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 |
| Mega Ball | $4 | $6 | $8 | $10 |
Below you can explore the odds of each Megaplier number being drawn.
| Megaplier | Odds |
|---|---|
| 2x | 1 in 3 |
| 3x | 1 in 2.5 |
| 4x | 1 in 5 |
| 5x | 1 in 15 |