How to Play Mega Millions®

Did you know that Illinois was one of the original nine states to sell Mega Millions®? Since 2002, Mega Millions has become a wildly popular game. With jackpots starting at $40 million, and Megaplier prizes at $5 million, it’s no surprise that this game continues to be an Illinois favorite.  Dream Big!

Mega Millions® Prizes & Odds

If your numbers match, you could be a winner! Reference the chart below to see the various game payouts and to understand how you can win more with Megaplier.

* Prizes with Megaplier when number drawn is 2X, 3X, 4X & 5X

Prize liability cap. Should the total prize liability, as defined in the Mega Millions® Finance and Operations Procedures, exceed the Liability Cap (as defined in the Mega Millions Finance and Operations Procedures), the second and third prizes shall be paid on a pari-mutuel basis rather than a fixed prize basis. However, in no event shall the pari-mutuel prize be greater that the fixed prize. The amount to be used for the allocation of such pari-mutuel prizes and related calculations of pari-mutuel prize values shall be as defined in the Mega Millions Finance and Operations Procedures.

Pari-mutuel treatment of Megaplier Prize Categories Two (2) and Three (3):

The expected payout percentage for a Mega Millions Megaplier drawing is 50% of Mega Millions sales. However, because Mega Millions Megaplier pays out fixed prizes, the total prize liability will be above or below 50% of sales based on the number of winning plays at each prize level. If the base prizes awarded for any Mega Millions drawing meet the pari-mutuel criteria of the Mega Millions liability cap, as outlined in the Mega Millions Finance and Operations Procedures, then the Megaplier prizes shall be calculated upon the same pari-mutuel basis. Prize Categories Two (2) and Three (3) shall be an amount equal to the pari-mutuel prize value multiplied by the Megaplier number selected for that drawing.

 

Payout Details

The prize payout information for Mega Millions® will be updated by Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 12:30AM CST, following scheduled drawings.

Note: Illinois Lottery only reports the payout information for Illinois winners. For payout information of all participating Mega Millions states, please visit www.megamillions.com.

 

Did you Win?

To see if you've won, download the app and scan your ticket or scan the barcode on your ticket at your favorite Illinois Lottery retailer.

You can cash your prize up to $600 at most lottery retailers. To claim prizes over $600 find a lottery claim center near you. For more information on what to do once you’ve won, please see our Winner’s Handbook.

 

Draw Game Rules

All you need to know about Mega Millions

Did you know that Illinois was one of the original nine states to sell Mega Millions®? Since 2002, Mega Millions has become a wildly popular game. With jackpots starting at $40 million, and Megaplier prizes at $5 million, it’s no surprise that this game continues to be an Illinois favorite.  Dream Big!

Megaplier

Megaplier allows players to increase their non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times. Should the total prize liability, as defined in the Mega Millions® Finance and Operations Procedures, exceed the Liability Cap (as defined in the Mega Millions Finance and Operations Procedures), the second and third prizes shall be paid on a pari-mutuel basis rather than a fixed prize basis. However, in no event shall the pari-mutuel prize be greater that the fixed prize. The amount to be used for the allocation of such pari-mutuel prizes and related calculations of pari-mutuel prize values shall be as defined in the Mega Millions Finance and Operations Procedures.

Mega Millions® drawings are conducted Tuesdays and Fridays (10:00 PM. CST) by the Georgia Lottery. One drawing machine is available for the 5/70 portion of Mega Millions drawing and one machine is available for the 1/25 portion of Mega Millions drawing. If either machine is out of service, the Georgia Lottery's Lotto drawing machine is re-programmed for Mega Millions drawing. The particular ball set to be used for each component of a given Mega Millions drawing is determined by random selection from among the available ball sets. Prior to each Mega Millions drawing, the Georgia Lottery's Drawing Specialist conducts 3 test drawings with each machine. The balls are then re-racked in random order and the machine resealed until the official drawing is conducted. After the official drawing, 2 more test draws are conducted with each machine to ensure the validity of the official drawing results.

Draw Game Rules