Mega Millions odds & prize statistics
Since April 2025, Mega Millions draws 5 numbers from 70 and one Mega Ball from 24 — 290,472,336 equally-likely lines. Every $5 play now carries a built-in 2×–10× multiplier on non-jackpot prizes. Here's every tier with exact odds, the combinatorics, and tools to feel what those numbers mean.
Mega Millions in plain English
A Mega Millions play picks 5 main numbers from 1–70 and one Mega Ball from 1–24. Match all five mains plus the Mega Ball for the jackpot. There are nine ways to win in total, down to matching just the Mega Ball.
The game was overhauled in April 2025: the ticket price rose to $5, the Mega Ball pool shrank from 25 to 24 (improving jackpot odds to 1 in 290,472,336 and any-prize odds to 1 in 23), and a built-in random multiplier of 2×, 3×, 4×, 5× or 10× is now applied to every non-jackpot prize at no extra cost. Because the smallest multiplier is 2×, the lowest real prize is $10, not the $5 base. The old $1 Megaplier and “Just the Jackpot” options were retired. Draws are Tuesday and Friday.
That single number is where every odds figure on this page comes from: you choose 5 main numbers from 70, then 1 from 24, giving 290,472,336 equally-likely outcomes. Exactly one of them is the jackpot line — which is why the jackpot odds are 1 in 290,472,336.
Mega Millions prizes & odds
Every tier with exact odds from the 5/70 + 1/24 matrix. Amounts shown are the official base prizes — each is then multiplied by the 2×–10× figure printed on your play, so real payouts are higher.
| Match | Odds (1 in…) | Base prize |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Mega Ball | 1 in 290,472,336 | Jackpotpari-mutuel, annuity or cash |
| 5 | 1 in 12,629,232 | $1,000,000x multiplier |
| 4 + Mega Ball | 1 in 893,761 | $10,000x multiplier |
| 4 | 1 in 38,859 | $500x multiplier |
| 3 + Mega Ball | 1 in 13,965 | $200x multiplier |
| 3 | 1 in 607.2 | $10x multiplier |
| 2 + Mega Ball | 1 in 665.0 | $10x multiplier |
| 1 + Mega Ball | 1 in 85.8 | $7x multiplier |
| Mega Ball only | 1 in 35.2 | $5x multiplier (min real win $10) |
Odds are exact and fixed by the matrix. Every non-jackpot prize is multiplied by the built-in 2×–10× multiplier (so the minimum real win is $10). The jackpot is pari-mutuel — shared between winners and paid as annuity or cash. In some cases fixed prizes may be paid pari-mutuel and be lower than the published base if a tier's liability cap is reached.
Interactive odds tools
Put 1 in 290,472,336 in perspective
Drag to see how the Mega Millions jackpot chance stacks up against everyday long shots.
What's a ticket really worth?
Mega Millions has fixed non-jackpot prizes, so we can compute the exact average return of the smaller prizes. Enter a jackpot to see the full picture. (Ignores tax & shared jackpots — read the note.)
Expected value is what an average ticket returns over the very long run — it is not a prediction and never exceeds the ticket price across a fair lottery. Real returns are lower after tax and any shared jackpots. This counts only the base prizes; the built-in 2×–10× multiplier (averaging about 3×) lifts real non-jackpot returns roughly threefold.
Simulate Mega Millions draws
Every draw below is generated by your device's cryptographic RNG (crypto.getRandomValues) — the same fairness our SHA-256 generators are built on. Run a batch and watch how rarely the top tiers actually land.
Mega Millions myths, busted
It doesn't. The 2×–10× multiplier only scales the prize you'd already win — your probability of hitting any tier is unchanged.
A larger jackpot doesn't change the 1-in-290-million odds at all. It just means more people are playing, so a win is more likely to be shared.
Each draw is independent. No combination is ever ‘due’ — every line has the same chance on every single draw.
Want provably-fair Mega Millions picks?
Members get the SHA-256 version of every generator — seed it with your own entropy and verify the draw was never tampered with. Free picks stay free; provably-fair is the VIP upgrade.
See membership →How to play Mega Millions
Pick 5 white-ball numbers plus 1 gold Mega Ball. The game had a major overhaul in April 2025.
You choose 5 white balls from 1 to 70 and 1 gold Mega Ball from 1 to 24. Match all six for the jackpot — one of 9 ways to win.
Mega Millions changed significantly on 8 April 2025: the ticket price rose from $2 to $5, one Mega Ball was removed (from 25 to 24) which improved the jackpot odds to 1 in 290,472,336, the starting jackpot jumped to $50 million, and a random multiplier (2×–10×) is now built into every ticket at no extra cost — so the smallest prize you can win is $10, not the old $2. The old $1 Megaplier add-on was retired.
When is the Mega Millions draw?
Mega Millions is drawn twice a week — Tuesday and Friday — at 11:00pm ET.
Draws are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00pm ET from Atlanta, Georgia (about 4am UK time the following morning). Ticket sales cut off before the draw — commonly around 10:45pm ET, though it varies by state — so buy earlier in the evening.
Times are set by the operator and can shift around holidays; confirm the cut-off with an official outlet before playing.
The biggest Mega Millions jackpots
Mega Millions is the only game to have awarded five separate billion-dollar-plus jackpots.
The record is $1.602 billion, won in Florida in August 2023 — at the time the largest single-ticket lottery prize in US history. Mega Millions is the only lottery to have produced five jackpots over $1 billion (in 2018, 2021, 2022 and two in 2023). Since the April 2025 change, jackpots start at $50 million and roll over twice a week until won.
Mega Millions odds, answered
What are the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot?
Exactly 1 in 290,472,336 — that's C(70,5) × 24, the number of equally-likely 5-main-plus-Mega-Ball combinations under the April-2025 matrix.
What changed in April 2025?
The price rose to $5, the Mega Ball pool dropped from 25 to 24 (improving jackpot odds from 1 in 302,575,350 to 1 in 290,472,336), a built-in 2×–10× multiplier replaced the Megaplier, and the minimum prize rose from $2 to $10.
What are the odds of winning any prize?
About 1 in 23, counting all nine tiers from the jackpot down to matching just the Mega Ball.
Does the built-in multiplier cost extra?
No. Every $5 play automatically receives a random 2×, 3×, 4×, 5× or 10× multiplier that boosts any non-jackpot prize — at no additional cost. It never applies to the jackpot.
How much is a Mega Millions ticket?
Since April 2025 each play costs $5. That price now includes a built-in random multiplier (2x to 10x) at no extra cost — the old $1 Megaplier add-on was retired.
What time is the Mega Millions draw?
Mega Millions is drawn every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00pm ET from Atlanta, Georgia — roughly 4am UK time the next morning. Ticket sales close before the draw, commonly around 10:45pm ET.
How do you play Mega Millions?
Pick 5 white balls from 1 to 70 and 1 gold Mega Ball from 1 to 24. Match all six for the jackpot; there are 9 ways to win, and thanks to the built-in multiplier the smallest prize is $10.
What changed with Mega Millions in 2025?
On 8 April 2025 the ticket rose to $5, one Mega Ball was removed (improving jackpot odds to 1 in 290,472,336), the starting jackpot became $50 million, and a random 2x-10x multiplier was built into every ticket.
What is the biggest Mega Millions jackpot?
$1.602 billion, won in Florida in August 2023. Mega Millions is the only lottery to have awarded five jackpots worth more than $1 billion.
Understanding Mega Millions odds & your chances
Every official Mega Millions draw is independently random and regulated. Each possible combination has exactly the same probability of being drawn, no matter how the numbers were chosen — birthdays, a generator, or last week's results. Lotteries are games of pure chance, and no tool, pattern, or hot/cold analysis changes the fixed mathematical odds on this page.