The Basics of Mega Millions

Mega Millions is an American multi-state lottery game and one of the biggest and most popular lottery games in the world. It is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Launched in 1996 (it was originally known as the Big Game), Mega Millions has since become one of the most popular lottery games in the United States.

To play Mega Millions, players pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers – five different numbers from 1 to 70 and one number from 1 to 25 – or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick. Then, every Tuesday and Friday night, five numbers plus the Mega Ball number are drawn randomly. If a player matches all six numbers, they win the Mega Millions jackpot, which starts out at $40 million and has been known to reach more than a billion dollars. A range of other prizes is also available for matching three, four, or five of the winning numbers.

The Prospect of Winning Big

When it comes to winning a big lottery jackpot, there is arguably no other lottery in the United States that gives players a greater chance of scoring huge cash prizes than Mega Millions. The record-setting 2020 jackpot, for example, was worth a gargantuan $1.537 billion – the largest-ever lottery jackpot in U.S. history and the third-largest around the world.

There’s also a good chance of winning big with Mega Millions because its lottery drawings are almost always very generous. For example, in 2020, the average Mega Millions jackpot was worth an incredible $175.8 million – one of the biggest averages ever!

Advance Play and More

If you’re a regular Mega Millions player, you might want to consider taking advantage of the Advance Play option. This is a handy feature that allows players to purchase tickets up to 20 consecutive draws in advance. It’s a great way to ensure you don’t miss that huge jackpot and maximize your chances of a big win.

For players who don’t want to wait around for the next drawing, Multi-Draw may be the answer. This useful feature is the same as Advance Play, but allows players to purchase tickets for up to 26 drawings. That’s plenty of time to get ready for another record-setting jackpot!

In addition to these opportunities, Mega Millions also offers great value for players outside of its mega jackpots. For example, lower-tier prizes have never been higher, and there are plenty of additional opportunities for bonuses and extra games. So, no matter what size prize you’re sopping for, Mega Millions offers many ways to win.