Did you know Mega Millions has the highest second prize of all the lottery games in America? You could win a whopping $5 million. How can you do it? The Mega Millions Megaplier.
How does the Mega Millions Megaplier work?
So, what is the Mega Millions Megaplier? The Megaplier option is a $1 feature you can add to your Mega Millions play that can boost your non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4, or even 5 times, depending on what Megaplier number is drawn. That means the $1 million second prize in Mega Millions could become a hefty $5 million!
The Megaplier is a special number randomly drawn before each Mega Millions drawing from a separate pool of 15 balls. Five balls are marked "2X," six balls are marked "3X," three balls are marked "4X" and one ball is marked "5X." Then the Megaplier number is announced along with the drawing results.
The Megaplier doesn't change or improve your odds of winning a Mega Millions prize and can't guarantee that you'll win a prize. But if you do win a non-jackpot prize, Mega Millions Megaplier will significantly boost your total prize amount! It's completely up to you to decide whether the $1 add-on is worth it to you, should your ticket win a prize.
Megaplier numbers: How much do you win?
The payout chart below shows how much each Megaplier number drawn would boost your prize winnings.
Mega Millions with Megaplier Payouts
Match
Regular Prize
2X
3X
4X
5X
5 numbers
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
4 numbers + Mega Ball
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
4 numbers
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
3 numbers + Mega Ball
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
3 numbers
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
2 numbers + Mega Ball
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
1 numbers + Mega Ball
$4
$8
$12
$16
$20
Mega Ball only
$2
$4
$6
$8
$10
When are drawings held?
The Mega Million drawings are held each Tuesday and Friday at 11 PM ET.
Check out this chart for the odds of winning:
A breakdown of prizes and odds for Mega Millions
Match
Win
Odds
5 numbers + Mega Ball
Jackpot
1 in 302,575,350
5 numbers
$1,000,000
1 in 12,607,306
4 numbers + Mega Ball
$10,000
1 in 931,001
4 numbers
$500
1 in 38,792
3 numbers + Mega Ball
$200
1 in 14,547
3 numbers
$10
1 in 606
2 numbers + Mega Ball
$10
1 in 693
1 number + Mega Ball
$4
1 in 89
Mega Ball
$2
1 in 37
You win when the numbers above are matched on a single row on your ticket. For example, if you bought two Mega Millions tickets, you cannot combine numbers on two separate rows for a prize. The matching numbers must be on a single row. If no one wins the jackpot, the grand prize money rolls over to the next drawing.
What are the rules for claiming a prize?
Prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. The ticket must be validated against the official drawing results and must be presented for payment to claim the prize.
For the jackpot, two options will be available for claiming the prize: to take payments in annual installments over the course of 30 years or receive the cash value option in a single payment. When it comes to installments, each payment will be higher than the previous year. It is recommended to consult a tax attorney or a certified public accountant (CPA) to determine which option will be best for you based on your unique circ*mstances.
When ordering tickets online using Jackpocket, prizes up to ~$600 are automatically credited to your account. For larger prizes, we securely send your ticket to you so that you can claim your winnings with your state lottery.
How does the Megaplier compare to Powerball's Power Play?
The idea between these two add-ons is very similar in that it increases the amount won for any non-jackpot prize. There are some differences, however. With the Powerball Power Play option, the amount won could be increased by up to 10 times. With Mega Millions Megaplier, the maximum increase would be five times the amount won. With the Power Play, the maximum to win when matching five numbers is $2 million. With the Megaplier, it will be $5 million.
Megaplier Winners
We've had lots of Jackpocket users win BIGGER thanks to adding the Megaplier to their ticket.
A New York man won $2 million and vowed to give 10% to charity. While his ticket matched 5 of 5 numbers (just missing the Mega Ball), the 2X Megaplier boosted his win from $1M to $2M. “When I got it, I thought it wasn’t real," he said. "When I think about winning, I’m usually thinking of $100 or $1,000 and not that kind of money!”
What is the Megaplier? Most states use a Megaplier® feature in which players can increase non-jackpot prize winnings by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times. In a participating state, you can play the Megaplier for an extra $1.
For an additional $1 per play, the Megaplier, if activated, multiplies nonjackpot prizes. Multipliers are 2, 3, 4, and 5 (a second-prize Megaplier play can win $5 million cash). The Megaplier is not available in California, or on Just the Jackpot wagers (where offered).
The Megaplier doesn't impact the Mega Millions jackpot at all, but it can have quite a substantial effect on all other prizes. Prize amounts here don't take into account any relevant taxes. Actual winnings may be smaller.
Most states offer a Megaplier feature to increase non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times; it costs an additional $1 per play. Before each Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday and Friday nights, the Megaplier is drawn. From a pool of 15 balls, five are marked with 2X, six with 3X, three with 4X and one with 5X.
The Megaplier does not affect the odds of winning the jackpot or of any of the secondary prizes. Instead, the Megaplier affects the size of the non-jackpot prizes awarded in a draw. The Megaplier can multiply those prizes by a factor of two, three, four, or five.
The Mega Millions, like any lottery, is a game of chance. Glickman suggests that the best way to increase your chances of winning is to buy more tickets, within reason. For example, if the probability of winning the jackpot is 1 in 302,575,350 with one ticket, it becomes 2 in 302,575,350 if you buy two.
But, as Chen and other mathematics experts have said, there are no numbers, combinations, or methods to give you a better chance at the Mega Millions jackpot. You can, however, increase your chances by simply buying more tickets.
With odds that slim, Glickman said it's best to focus on picking numbers that are completely random. That will help ensure you're not making the same picks as someone else — and that you won't have to split the prize money with anyone, should you win.
Let's say, for example, you win a $500 prize in Mega Millions. If the Megaplier number drawn is 4, your winnings would be multiplied by 4, resulting in a total prize amount of $2,000.
The Megaplier feature gives you the option to multiply (from two to five times) the value of any non-jackpot prize you win based upon the Megaplier ball that is drawn. Add the Megaplier feature for an additional $1 per set of numbers.
Given the likelihood of each of the factors, the average value of this play is a 3-fold increase in the non-jackpot prizes. This changes the math a little, but not in your favor. The expectation value of the Megaplier is just $0.49 before tax or about $0.35 after tax, and this value doesn't improve when jackpots go up.
Matching the Mega Ball-only, wins you $2 at odds of 1 in 37. The mega-plier then multiplies that prize up to by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times ($4, $6, $8 or $10). 5x is 1 in 15.
The Megaplier option is a $1 feature you can add to your Mega Millions play that can boost your non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4, or even 5 times, depending on what Megaplier number is drawn. That means the $1 million second prize in Mega Millions could become a hefty $5 million!
Do you win anything with one number on Mega Millions? If you match just the Mega Ball (and don't match any of the five regular numbers), you win a $2 prize and break even on the $2 cost of your Mega Millions ticket. However, If you match one white ball but not the Mega Ball, there is no prize.
Matching two numbers won't win anything in Mega Millions unless one of the numbers is the Mega Ball. A ticket matching one of the five numbers and the Mega Ball is worth $4. Visit www.megamillions.com for a complete list of payout information.
Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
