Mega Millions

How to play the Mega Millions Lottery Online?

They say that everything is bigger and better in America, we believe that they are talking about the USA lottery jackpots! The popularity of the Mega Millions comes from its massive record-breaking jackpots that have instantly changed lives for over 20 years.

The Mega Million lotto currently holds the second-largest lottery jackpot in the world, a gigantic US $1.537 billion, won in October 2018. This is also the largest lottery jackpot won by a single lottery player.

Thanks to the convenience of the internet and Lotto247, you can now play the Mega Millions lottery online and instantly transform your life with one Mega Millions jackpot win.

To stand a chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot, you need to buy Mega Millions lottery tickets and play the Mega Millions lottery online.

This is how you do it;

Sign in to your Lotto247 account. Or you can create a new account if you are new to our website.
Deposit funds into your account using one of our various safe and secure payment methods.
Once your funds reflect in your account, you can now buy Mega Millions lottery tickets and play the Mega Millions lottery online.

The Mega Millions online lottery uses two (2) drums to draw its numbers. The first drum contains the “main numbers” while the second drum holds the “Mega Ball”.

To play the Mega Millions lottery online, you must;

Choose five (5) main numbers from a possible pool of 70 and;

One (1) number from 1 – 25

When selecting your lucky numbers to play the Mega Millions lottery online, you can pick them by either using manual selection or the Quick Pick option. The Quick Pick method uses a random number generator to pick your lucky numbers for you.

Read our detailed guide on How to Play Mega Millions online or visit our Mega Millions Resource Centre for more help with playing the Mega Millions lottery online on Lotto247.

What is the Mega Ball?

The “Mega Ball”, which is gold in colour, is the ‘bonus ball’ in the Mega Millions lottery. It is drawn from the second drum that contains numbers ranging from 1 to 25. The Mega Ball increases the value of the Mega Millions jackpot.

When the Mega Millions lottery was launched, the Mega Ball was previously named the “Big Money Ball”.

When to play the Mega Millions Lottery online?

So, you have your lucky numbers and are ready to buy your Mega Millions lottery tickets but not sure when to play the Mega Millions lottery online?

The Mega Millions lottery holds its draws every Tuesday and Friday at 23:00 (ET). You can buy your Mega Millions lottery tickets and play the Mega Millions lottery online until an hour before the draw. Also, you’ll see the time left before the next Mega Millions online lottery draw.

To check if your lucky numbers matched those drawn in the Mega Millions draw, visit the Mega Millions results page. The Mega Millions online lottery results are updated immediately after each draw.

More Information about Mega Millions:

What is the Mega Millions Lottery?

The American Mega Millions lottery has been transforming lives by creating instant millionaires for the past 20 years. Since its launch, the popular Mega Millions lotto has been rebranded, and its format changed.

When Mega Millions was launched in August 1996, it was called “The Big Game” with only six (6) states participating: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Virginia. It held its first draw on September 6, 1996. The Mega Millions lotto was instantly popular, and more states decided to join in, with now almost every American state participating except for five states.

In 1997 after experiencing substantial growth, a Tuesday draw was added in February 1998. More changes followed in 1999 as players were given a wider choice of lucky numbers to choose from, including a new cash (lump-sum) pay-out option.

Since its inception, the popular game changed its name twice from“The Big Game Mega Millions” in 2002 to “Mega Millions” in 2005. The Mega Millions game matrix and its prize amounts were also changed in 2002 to infuse more excitement in the game.

The Mega Millions lottery made history on March 30, 2012, with the record-breaking US $656 million Mega Millions jackpot. This massive Mega Millions jackpot was split evenly amongst three winning tickets from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

In 2017, the Mega Millions online lottery changed its structure, making it more rewarding to win the Mega Millions jackpot and easier to win a million-dollar prize. The result of these changes were more enormous jackpots with the starting Mega Millions jackpot growing nearly three times its size.

Other changes implemented included changing the number of main numbers from 75 to 70 and increasing the pool of Mega Balls from 15 to 25.

Can I play the Mega Millions lottery online from overseas?

The American Mega Millions is one of the world’s most popular lottery games, offering life-changing jackpots. So, it’s no surprise you cannot help but ask if you can play the Mega Millions lottery online from overseas?

Gone are the days where you had to physically be in the country to play the Mega Millions lottery. Nowadays, the convenience of the internet has made it possible for you to play the Mega Millions lottery online from anywhere in the world.

All you need to do to play the Mega Millions lottery online is to create a Lotto247 account and add funds using any of our secure payment methods. When your funds reflect in your account, you’re ready to buy your Mega Millions lottery tickets from the comfort of your home or office.

Remember, to buy Mega Millions lottery tickets and play the Mega Millions lottery online; you have to be 18 years old or older.

How to win the Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot?

To win the life-changing Mega Millions jackpot, you have to match the five (5) white numbers drawn, in any order, including the Mega Ball.

You can also win secondary prizes by matching fewer numbers as outlined in the table below.

Mega Millions Prize Table

There are nine (9) prize tiers in the Mega Millions online lottery. They range from matching the Mega Ball to the jackpot by matching six (6) numbers.

The second tier prize of US $1 million is fixed per winner. Below is a table of estimated prize values, which may vary from draw to draw.

Matching Numbers	Prize Tier Level
Five (5) numbers + Mega Ball	Jackpot
Five (5) numbers	US $1,000,000
Four (4) numbers + Mega Ball	US $10,000
Four (4) numbers	US $500
Three (3) numbers + Mega Ball	US $200
Three (3) numbers	US $10
Two (2) numbers + Mega Ball	US $10
One (1) number + Mega Ball	US $4
Mega Ball	US $2

Please note that the values depicted on this page are approximate values only and not necessarily actual winning amounts. Always consult the lottery results page for up to date information.

Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot Pay-out Options

When you win the Mega Millions jackpot, you have two (2) options to claim your prize. You can opt for your winnings to be paid to you either through the lump-sum or annuity pay-out option.

Lump-sum payout option

The lump-sum payout option gives you immediate access to your money. You’ll receive approximately 60% of the Mega Millions jackpot.

This option allows you to immediately splurge on what you want without the need to save or seek credit.

Annuity payout option

You can also have your Mega Millions jackpot winnings paid out to you using the annuity pay-out option.

The first payment is paid out immediately with the balance paid out in yearly instalments, and it can take up to 30 years to complete the annuity payments.

Each annuity payment increases by 4%, making the last payment the largest. The annuity payout option is calculated based on the declared Mega Millions jackpot winning total.

Mega Millions Jackpot Rollovers

There is no Mega Millions jackpot cap or rollover limit. The Mega Millions lotto jackpot will continue to roll over until it has been won, meaning the jackpot prize can reach hundreds of millions of dollars.

If more than one Mega Millions lotto player scoops the top prize, the Mega Millions jackpot will be shared evenly amongst all the winners.

What are the chances of winning the Mega Millions Lottery?

When you play the Mega Millions lottery online, the chances of scooping the Mega Millions jackpot are 302,575,350 to 1. However, you stand a much higher chance of winning smaller prizes.

Winning the Mega Millions jackpot will need you to match the five (5) numbers drawn from a pool of 70 numbers, including the Mega Ball from a possible 25 numbers.

Below is a table of your chances of winning other Mega Millions prizes;

Prize Level	Your chances of winning	Prize
Five (5) numbers + Mega Ball	1 in 302,575,350	Jackpot
Five (5) numbers	1 in 12,607,306	US $1,000,000
Four (4) numbers + Mega Ball	1 in 931,001	US $10,000
Four (4) numbers	1 in 38,792	US $500
Three (3) numbers + Mega Ball	1 in 14,547	US $200
Three (3) numbers	1 in 606	US $10
Two (2) numbers + Mega Ball	1 in 693	US $10
One (1) number + Mega Ball	1 in 89	US $4

Please note that the values depicted on this page are approximate values only and not necessarily actual winning amounts. Always consult the lottery results page for up to date information.

Interesting Facts About Mega Millions

The two drums used in all of the Mega Millions draws are a Criterion II model manufactured by Smartplay International from New Jersey.

These two drums use counter-rotating arms to move the balls around and mix them. Each of the drawn balls drops individually, several seconds apart, through a hole at the bottom of the mixing drums.

Biggest Mega Millions Winners

Winner Name	Jackpot Amount	Location	Date Won
Anonymous	US $1.537 billion	South Carolina	October 2018
Anonymous	US $1.35 billion	Maine	January 2023
Three anonymous winners	US $656 million	Kansas, Illinois and Maryland	March 2012
Two anonymous winners	US $648 million	California and Georgia	December 2013
Lottery syndicate	US $543 million	California	July 2018
Anonymous couple	US $536 million	Indiana	July 2016
Anonymous	US $533 million	New Jersey	March 2018
Anonymous	US $522 million	California	June 2019
Anonymous	US $451 million	Florida	January 2018
Lottery syndicate	US $437 million	New York	January 2019

After winning the Mega Millions with Lotto247

So, your dream of winning the Mega Millions jackpot has finally come true, and you’re asking yourself what happens next? Here is what you need to know;

What happens when I win the Mega Millions jackpot with Lotto247?

Is it not an incredible feeling being the latest Mega Millions jackpot winner or winning other amazing prizes? But, the good news doesn’t end there.

As a Mega Millions online lottery winner, you don’t need to do anything. Soon after the Mega Millions results have been published and you matched the winning numbers drawn, we will immediately credit your Lotto247 account.

You should seek professional advice for larger winnings to assist in managing your winnings according to your local legislation for claiming international lottery winnings.

How to claim your USA Mega Millions prize with Lotto247?

There are numerous benefits to enjoy when you play the Mega Millions lottery online. One of those benefits is how easy it is to claim your Mega Millions online lottery prizes.

You’ll need to file a “cash withdrawal” request from your Lotto247 account to claim your prize. After we’ve received your cash withdrawal request, our security team will contact you to ensure your account is verified before granting your withdrawal request.

Your winnings will be deposited into your preferred bank account once the requested has been approved. You can also have your winnings paid out in several web wallets. This option is dependent on which country you live in, including other factors.