Discover the exact odds for every Mega Millions prize category. Understand the mathematics behind America's second-largest lottery and how your chances compare to Powerball and EuroMillions.
Mega Millions is drawn every Tuesday and Friday in 45 US states plus Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands. Players pick 5 white balls from 1 to 70 and 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 25. The total possible combinations are 302,575,350 — the largest field of any major US lottery.
| Prize Level | Match | Odds (1 in...) | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackpot | 5 + Mega Ball | 302,575,350 | Jackpot (min $20M) |
| 2nd Prize | 5 (no Mega Ball) | 12,607,306 | $1,000,000 |
| 3rd Prize | 4 + Mega Ball | 931,001 | $10,000 |
| 4th Prize | 4 (no Mega Ball) | 38,792 | $500 |
| 5th Prize | 3 + Mega Ball | 14,547 | $200 |
| 6th Prize | 3 (no Mega Ball) | 606 | $10 |
| 7th Prize | 2 + Mega Ball | 693 | $10 |
| 8th Prize | 1 + Mega Ball | 89 | $4 |
| 9th Prize | Mega Ball only | 37 | $2 |
The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are approximately 1 in 24.
Total combinations = C(70,5) Ă— C(25,1)
C(70,5) = 12,103,014 (ways to choose 5 from 70)
C(25,1) = 25 (ways to choose the Mega Ball)
Total: 12,103,014 Ă— 25 = 302,575,350
Like Powerball's Power Play, Mega Millions offers a Megaplier add-on that multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x for an additional $1 per play. The Megaplier number is randomly drawn before each Mega Millions drawing.
In some states, Mega Millions offers a special "Just the Jackpot" option that gives players two tickets for $3 but only qualifies for the jackpot prize. This option effectively trades secondary prize eligibility for slightly better jackpot value.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever was $1.602 billion, won in August 2023. Other record jackpots include $1.537 billion (October 2018) and $1.35 billion (January 2023). These enormous jackpots are possible because the pot rolls over each time no one wins, accumulating over multiple drawings.
Mega Millions began in 1996 under the name "The Big Game," operating in just six states. Over the decades it has expanded significantly, and in 2012 it crossed over with Powerball to allow sales in virtually every US state.
The odds have been adjusted several times to create larger jackpots. In October 2017, the matrix changed from 5/75 + 1/15 to the current 5/70 + 1/25, which significantly increased the jackpot odds. While this made the jackpot harder to win, it also enabled the game to build much larger prize pools, driving record-breaking jackpots in the years that followed.
Mega Millions has slightly worse jackpot odds (1 in 302.6 million) compared to Powerball (1 in 292.2 million). However, for the lowest prize level, Mega Millions (1 in 37) is slightly easier to win than Powerball's minimum prize (1 in 38). Both games have very similar overall odds of winning any prize.
The minimum prize in Mega Millions is $2, won by matching only the Mega Ball with odds of 1 in 37. This is actually easier to win than Powerball's minimum $4 prize.
For an extra $1, the Megaplier option multiplies any non-jackpot prize by the Megaplier number drawn (2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x). For example, a $10 prize becomes $50 with a 5x Megaplier. The second prize of $1,000,000 becomes $2,000,000 with Megaplier (it only doubles, not multiplies by the full number).
No. Every number combination has exactly the same probability of being drawn. Choosing "lucky numbers" or numbers based on historical frequency does not change your mathematical probability of winning.