Mega Millions (thing)

A large, multi-state lottery in the United States, chief competitor to Powerball. It was formerly known as The Big Game, which is now the name of the company which runs Mega Millions. It reached a peak jackpot of $331 million in 2000.

States where sold

You do not need to be a resident of any of these states to participate, but you must buy a ticket in these states. The Big Game is one of very few lottery operators that let you buy tickets on-line, as well. A winning ticket must be redeemed in the state where it was purchased.

1. Georgia
2. Illinois
3. Maryland
4. Massachusetts
5. Michigan
6. New Jersey
7. New York
8. Ohio
9. Virginia
10. Washington

How to Play

Choose five numbers from a field of 52, plus a "Mega Ball" from a field of 52. Each play costs $1.00 ($2 if bought on-line). If you can't think of the numbers yourself, you can select an "Easy Pick" to let a random number generator do the thinking for you. You can win by matching one of the following nine combinations. Note that your Mega Ball selection doesn't count if it matches anything besides the Mega Ball drawn.

1. All 5 numbers and the Mega Ball - Jackpot (135,145,920 to 1)
2. All 5 numbers but not the Mega Ball - $175,000 (2,649,920 to 1)
3. Any 4 numbers and the Mega Ball - $5,000 (575,089 to 1)
4. Any 4 numbers but not the Mega Ball - $150 (11,276 to 1)
5. Any 3 numbers and the Mega Ball - $150 (12,502 to 1)
6. Any 3 numbers but not the Mega Ball - $10 (833 to 1)
7. Any 2 numbers and the Mega Ball - $7 (245 to 1)
8. Any number and the Mega Ball - $3 (152 to 1)
9. Just the Mega Ball - $2 (88 to 1)