Mega Millions is undoubtedly the biggest and most famous lottery game to emerge from the United States of America.
Launched in 1996, Mega Millions is a trailblazing multi-jurisdictional game. It initially began with only six (6) States participating, and currently, Mega Millions is offered in all but five States.
So, if you want to know if you can play the Mega Millions lottery from anywhere in the world, here is what you need to know;
Related Article: How to win a Mega Millions jackpot
Can I play the Mega Millions lottery from outside the US?
For over two (2) decades, the irresistibly infectious excitement of the Mega Millions lottery has gripped the imagination of enthusiastic players. It has got millions of players worldwide asking, “can I play the Mega Millions lottery from anywhere in the world?”
Yes, you can play the Mega Millions lottery from outside the United States of America, thanks to Lotto247 and the convenience of the internet.
A benefit of playing the Mega Millions lottery on Lotto247 is that you do not need to travel to the USA if you win the jackpot or any prize, as Lotto247 will pay you out in your home country.
To play the Mega Millions lottery on Lotto247, you need to be 18 years or older.
How to play the Mega Millions lottery online?
Winning the Mega Millions lottery jackpot is an overwhelmingly exciting dream come true, giving you the passport to live the life of your dreams.
However, you first need to play the Mega Millions lottery and win the jackpot for that dream to come true. So, how do you play the Mega Millions online on Lotto247?
Step 1 – Create your Lotto247 account
You will first need to create your Lotto247 account if you do not have one already. It’s free and will only take a few minutes.
To become a Lotto247 lottery player, click on the “Register” button at the top of the page, fill in the registration form and submit.
If you are already a registered Lotto247 lottery player, log in to your account and start playing.
Step 2 – Deposit funds
After creating your Lotto247 account, you can deposit funds into your account using our various safe and secure payment methods.
You can deposit funds into your Lotto247 account using a credit card, web wallet or other local payment options, although this depends on where you live.
Step 3 – Select the Mega Millions lottery
When the funds reflect in your Lotto247 account, you can now play the Mega Millions lottery. To buy your tickets, visit the Mega Millions play page.
Tip: Mega Millions, like other major international lottery games, uses two (2) drums in its draw. The first drum holds 70 balls, while the second drum contains 25 balls.
To play the Mega Millions lottery, you have to choose;
- Five (5) numbers from a pool of 70 possible numbers.
- One (1) number from 25 possible numbers.
Step 4 – Manually choose your lucky numbers
You pick your numbers by clicking on your preferred numbers. The squares chosen will change from white to red after clicking on them.
To select your Mega Ball (Bonus Ball), click on the arrow next to “Bonus”.
Step 5 – Or use the Quick Pick Method to choose your numbers
If you are running out of time or need some inspiration, the Quick Pick method is ideal for choosing your lucky numbers. The Quick Pick method uses a random number generator to select numbers for you.
Select the +1 icon for a single entry, and the random number generator will select a set of numbers for you.
You can also choose to select +5, +10 or +20 for bulk entries. It will give you five (5), 10 or 20 entries into the Mega Millions lottery.
Step 6 – Edit your numbers
Clicking on “edit numbers” allows you to change a specific number. When you click on the number you want to change, the square will change from red to white. Now you can choose again the numbers you want to play.
To change all your numbers, you need to select the trash bin icon to clear all your numbers, and the squares will change back to white. You now have a blank board to pick your new numbers.
Step 7 – Confirm your numbers and enter future draws
The next step after choosing your numbers is confirming them. When you are happy with the numbers, you have picked and want to enter one (1) draw, click on the “Play Now” tab, and you are all done.
The “Future Draws” feature gives you the option to enter future draws with the same numbers you just picked. You can also increase the number to the number of draws you would like to enter in the future.
You can change your number selection by using the “edit your number” section.
Step 8 – Editing your numbers again
When navigating from the ‘Confirm Numbers’ screen in step 7;
- Select the row you wish to change.
- Click on the “edit” icon on the left.
- The whiteboard will appear, and you will have to pick your new numbers again.
Step 9 – Complete your purchase
Before completing your purchase, you must view it and click “Play Now” to confirm your entry into the Mega Millions draw.
When is the Mega Millions draw?
The Mega Millions lottery holds its draw twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday at 23:00 (ET) at the WSB-TV studio in Atlanta, Georgia. You can play the Mega Millions lottery on Lotto247 at any time until an hour before the draw.
One of the benefits of playing the Mega Millions lottery on Lotto247 is the ease of checking the draw results. After every draw, the results are updated immediately, and you can check them on the Mega Millions results page.
How to win the Mega Millions jackpot?
To win the coveted Mega Millions lottery jackpot, you have to match the five (5) main numbers, including the Mega Ball.
Are there any special Mega Millions lottery draws?
As prestigiously glamorous as the Mega Millions lottery is, it does not have any special draws. However, Mega Millions still produces some of the world’s most lucrative jackpots.
What is the Mega Ball?
The “Mega Ball” is the Mega Millions bonus ball. It is gold in colour and is drawn from the second drum containing a pool of 25 possible numbers. The Mega Ball increases the value of the jackpot.
Initially, the Mega Ball was called the “Big Money Ball”.
What are the chances of winning the Mega Millions jackpot?
Mega Millions offers nine (9) lucratively rewarding prizes tiers, and your overall chance of winning any prize are 1 in 24.
Your chances of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, that is a single ticket out of a possible 300+ million possible winning combinations.
Below is a table listing your chances of winning other Mega Millions prizes;
| Match | Prize Category | Winning Chances |
|---|---|---|
| Five (5) numbers + Mega Ball | Jackpot | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| Five (5) numbers | 2nd Prize | 1 in 12,607,306 |
| Four (4) numbers + Mega Ball | 3rd Prize | 1 in 931,001 |
| Four (4) numbers | 4th Prize | 1 in 38,792 |
| Three (3) numbers + Mega Ball | 5th Prize | 1 in 14,547 |
| Three (3) numbers | 6th Prize | 1 in 606 |
| Two (2) numbers + Mega Ball | 7th Prize | 1 in 693 |
| One (1) number + Mega Ball | 8th Prize | 1 in 89 |
| Mega Ball | 9th Prize | 1 in 37 |
How does the Mega Millions lottery payout?
When you win the Mega Millions jackpot, there are two (2) available payout options: lump-sum or annuity payout.
Lump-sum payout
The lump-sum payout option pays out your winnings immediately, and you’ll receive approximately 60% of the jackpot after tax deductions.
Annuity payout
In the annuity payout option, your winnings are paid out in a series of yearly payments for a predetermined number of years. The first payment is paid out immediately, with the remaining payments paid out over approximately 29 years.
Each annuity payment increases by an estimated 4%, making the final payment the largest. The annuity payout option is calculated based on the declared Mega Millions jackpot-winning total.
It is advisable to seek professional financial advice for managing large lottery winnings. Under exceptional circumstances, Lotto247 reserves the right to pay the winning jackpot total in the form of an annuity payout.
Does the Mega Millions lottery have a jackpot rollover cap?
Mega Millions does not have a jackpot rollover limit or cap. When the jackpot is not won, it will continue to roll over until it is won.
If the Mega Millions jackpot is won by more than one (1) player, it is shared evenly amongst all winners.
How do you know you have won the Mega Millions?
Imagine winning that life-changing Mega Millions jackpot or other prizes and not knowing about it?
The good news is that when you win the jackpot or any other prize on Lotto247, you will not miss out on your winnings. We will email you the Mega Millions results immediately after every draw.
When the Mega Millions results are published, we will immediately credit your Lotto247 account if you matched the winnings numbers. If you win £/$/€200 or more, one of our friendly Lotto247 customer service agents will call to congratulate you.
The Mega Millions prize table
The Mega Millions game is renowned for its record-breaking lucratively life-changing jackpots. However, it also offers some impressive non-jackpot prizes as well.
Mega Millions has nine (9) different prizes tiers, ranging from matching the Mega Ball to the jackpot by matching the five (5) main numbers and the Mega Ball.
The second-tier prize is fixed at US $1 million per winner. Below is a table of estimated prize values, which vary from draw to draw.
| Match | Prize |
|---|---|
| Five (5) numbers + Mega Ball | Jackpot |
| Five (5) numbers | $1,000,000 |
| Four (4) numbers + Mega Ball | $10,000 |
| Four (4) numbers | $500 |
| Three (3) numbers + Mega Ball | $200 |
| Three (3) numbers | $10 |
| Two (2) numbers + Mega Ball | $10 |
| One (1) number + Mega Ball | $4 |
| Mega Ball | $2 |
History of the Mega Millions lottery
Mega Millions was launched in August 1996 with only six (6) States participating: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Virginia. It was initially called “The Big Game” and held its first draw on September 6, 1996.
This riveting game was an instant hit. It resulted in more states deciding to join in and now is offered in almost every American state except for five states.
After experiencing substantial growth in 1997, Mega Millions added a Tuesday draw in February 1998. In 1999, more changes were implemented, giving players a wider choice of numbers to choose from, including introducing a new lump-sum payout option.
Mega Millions has changed its name twice since it was launched, first from “The Big Game” to “The Big Game Mega Millions” in 2002, and finally to “Mega Millions” in 2005. Organisers of the Mega Millions lottery, in 2002, decided to change the game matrix and its prize amounts to add more excitement.
In October 2018, Mega Millions made lottery history with a record-breaking US $1.537 billion jackpot, won by one (1) lucky winner from South Carolina.
More changes were implemented in 2017, with the game’s structure changed to make it more rewarding to win the jackpot and easier to win a million-dollar prize. These changes resulted in bigger jackpots, as the starting Mega Millions jackpot grew nearly three times its size.
Other changes included reducing the number of main numbers from 75 to 70 and increasing the number of Mega Balls from 15 to 25.
Mega Millions’ biggest jackpot winners
Since it was launched over 20 years ago, Mega Millions has been at the forefront of some of the world’s largest jackpot wins.
In October 2018, an anonymous winner from South Carolina walked away with the largest recorded Mega Millions jackpot, US $1.537 billion. Three anonymous winners in March 2012 won the second-highest Mega Millions jackpot, US $656 million. While two anonymous winners from California and Georgia scooped the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot in December 2013, US $648 million.
Below is a table listing the top 10 most significant Mega Millions jackpot winners;
| Winner | Jackpot Amount | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Anonymous |
US $1.537 billion |
South Carolina |
23 October 2018 |
|
Anonymous Merle and Patricia Butler The Three Amigos |
US $656 million |
Kansas Illinois Maryland |
30 March 2012 |
|
Steve Tran Ira Curry |
US $648 million |
California Georgia |
17 December 2013 |
|
11-member office pool |
US $543 million |
California |
24 July 2018 |
|
Warren D |
US $536 million |
Indiana |
8 July 2016 |
|
Richard Wahl |
US $533 million |
New Jersey |
30 March 2018 |
|
Laarni Bibal |
US $522 million |
California |
7 June 2019 |
|
Secret 007 |
US $451 million |
Florida |
5 January 2018 |
|
New Life LLC |
US $437 million |
New York |
1 January 2019 |
|
Cobie and Seamus Trust Anonymous player |
US $414 million |
Florida Maryland |
18 March 2014 |
Help with playing Mega Millions online
If you need help or have any questions about playing Mega Millions online on Lotto247, please visit our Mega Millions Resource Centre or contact the Lotto247 customer service team.
