Mega Millions FAQS
Drawn twice a week, the Mega Millions lottery continues to be popular, especially with lucky Ohio State winners. We've put together an extensive set of frequently asked questions telling you all you may need to know about the Mega Millions draw.
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With Mega Millions, you have two chances per week to win. Drawings are held on Tuesday and Friday evenings in Atlanta, Georgia at 11:00 PM ET.
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Mega Millions can be played either in-store or by ordering tickets online. If you want to purchase a paper ticket yourself, you must visit an authorized lottery retailer.
You can enter by choosing five main numbers between 1 and 70 and a Mega Ball from 1 to 25.
You can read the full Mega Millions rules if you go on our How to Play page.
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Ticket sales in Ohio close at 10:45 PM ET. The cut-off time may be different if you play in other states - usually it is about an hour before the draw takes place.
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A single Mega Millions ticket costs $2 per play and it has two sets of numbers. The Megaplier option can be added if you pay $1 on top of the price of the ticket.
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Yes, you are able to enter the same set of numbers in up to 10 consecutive draws.
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Megaplier is an extra feature which you can add to your Mega Millions ticket and it costs $1. This option gives you the chance to multiply your non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times. To discover how the Megaplier option works, visit our How to Play page.
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Mega Millions offers a guaranteed starting jackpot of $20 million.
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The Mega Millions jackpot does not have a rollover limit or a cap. Therefore, it will keep on rolling until it is won.
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The biggest Mega Millions jackpot was on August 8, 2023 by a single player from Florida. The grand prize was worth $1.602 billion and the lucky winner claimed the cash lump sum of $794.2 million. The ticket was purchased at a Publix in Neptune Beach.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won in Ohio was worth $375 million. It was won on December 17, 2019 and it was claimed by The Great Hope Trust, who chose the cash option of $182.5 million, after taxes. The ticket which matched all the winning numbers was purchased at Giant Eagle, 8383 Tyler Blvd. in Mentor.
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If you're looking to win any Mega Millions prize, you should know that the odds of winning are approximately 1 in 24. But in case you've got your eyes on the big jackpot, your odds of winning are 1 in 302,575,350.
Take a look at the odds of winning for each prize tier on the Odds and Prizes page.
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Bought a ticket in Ohio and managed to match some (or all) winning numbers? In The Buckeye State, you have 180 days from the draw date to claim any winnings. There are different ways to claim which depend on the amount of your prize.
Learn more about the claiming process in Ohio here.