Mega Millions

Mega Millions logo

Mega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 (see below), Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments (unless the cash option is chosen), increasing when there is no jackpot winner.^[1] Reflecting common practice among American lotteries, the jackpot is advertised as a nominal value of annual installments. A cash value option, when chosen by a jackpot winner (see below), pays the approximate present value of the installments. Mega Millions currently uses a 5/56 (white balls) + 1/46 (the Mega Ball) double matrix to select its winning numbers. Each game costs players $1; in most of the 42 Mega Millions jurisdictions, players may opt to pay an extra $1 per game to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, or 4 with the Megaplier. (The Megaplier was made available to all Mega Millions players in January 2011; it began as a Texas-only option.) Mega Millions is drawn at 11pm Eastern time Tuesdays and Fridays, including holidays. The drawings usually are held in Atlanta, Georgia.^[2] Mega Millions' second largest annuity jackpot ($380 million), and largest cash jackpot ($240 million), was for the January 4, 2011 drawing; two tickets, one each from Post Falls, Idaho, and Ephrata, Washington, matched all six winning numbers, winning $190 million (annuity) each. The holders of each ticket chose the cash option.

Mega Millions' largest annuity jackpot, of $390 million, was for the March 6, 2007 drawing. Two tickets also won this jackpot; one each from Georgia and New Jersey; both sets of winners chose the cash option, splitting $233 million. (As noted below, interest rates change, resulting in different ratios between the cash values and annuity values of jackpots.)

The 2010 expansion of Mega Millions and Powerball

On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in US lottery jurisdictions with this combination of the 2 lotteries being referred to as the Mega Power Lottery^[3] by many users. The expansion occurred on January 31, 2010, as 23 Powerball members began selling Mega Millions tickets for their first drawing on February 2, 2010; likewise, 10 Mega Millions members began selling Powerball tickets for their first drawing on February 3, 2010. Montana (joining Mega Millions on March 1, 2010) was the first jurisdiction to add either game after the cross-sell expansion. Nebraska (March 20, 2010), Oregon (March 28, 2010), Arizona (April 18, 2010), Maine (May 9, 2010), Colorado, and South Dakota (the latter two on May 16, 2010) also have joined Mega Millions since the expansion.

With Louisiana joining Mega Millions in November 2011, Mega Millions and Powerball each are played in 44 jurisdictions, with 43 lotteries selling tickets for both games. California is the only Mega Millions member that does not offer Powerball, while Florida is the only Powerball member that does not offer Mega Millions.

It is likely this cross-selling arrangement is a temporary measure, as lotteries investigate the possibility of merging the two games. (See Cross-selling expansion about a potential "national" lottery game.)

Current and future participating members

Jurisdictions with Powerball only (in red), Mega Millions only (in blue), or both games (in pink) as of October 2011. Note: the District of Columbia and US Virgin Islands participate in both games. Louisiana added Mega Millions on November 16, 2011.

Powerball replaced Lotto*America in April 1992; Mega Millions replaced The Big Game in May 2002 (see below for the evolution of the name Mega Millions.)

Mega Millions only

California: June 2005. The first Mega Millions drawing that included California-bought tickets was conducted in Hollywood.

History

The Big Game

The Big Game logo prior to the Mega Millions name change.

Tickets began to be sold in in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia on August 31, 1996, for the new game, then known as The Big Game. Drawings were initially held Fridays only.

The Georgia Lottery was a member of MUSL at the time and wanted to sell both games for the remainder of 1996; however, within a few days, Georgia was forcibly removed from MUSL, returning with the 2010 cross-selling expansion.

Beginning in January 1999, jackpot winners were given the option to receive their prize in cash.

In May 1999, New Jersey joined The Big Game, the only jurisdiction to do so before The Big Game became Mega Millions in 2002.

The Big Game Mega Millions

New York and Ohio joined The Big Game on May 15, 2002, when the game was changed to its second name, The Big Game Mega Millions, temporarily retaining the old name and its "gold ball" logo. The "Big Money Ball" became the "Mega Ball." After the game's name was altered, the yellow ball in the new Mega Millions logo read "The Big Game." The first (The Big Game) Mega Millions drawing was held on May 17, 2002. The first three additional lotteries offering Mega Millions were Washington (September 2002), Texas (2003), and California (2005). California was the last addition to Mega Millions before the cross-sell expansion of 2010. Montana joined Mega Millions on March 1, 2010, the first addition to Mega Millions after the cross-sell expansion.

When Texas added Mega Millions in 2003, it began offering an option then available only to Texas Lottery players, the Megaplier, which is similar to Powerball's Power Play. The 11 Mega Millions lotteries without Megaplier on the January 31, 2010 cross-selling date gradually added the multiplier; by January 2011, all Mega Millions lotteries offered the Megaplier.

On June 24, 2005, to commemorate California joining Mega Millions, the drawing was held in Hollywood, with Carrie Underwood assisting Glenn Burns for the draw.

For the drawing of November 15, 2005, a group called "The Lucky 7" held the only jackpot-winning ticket, purchased in Anaheim, California, winning $315 million. They chose the cash option, splitting $175 million before Federal tax.^[4] This remains the largest prize won by a single Mega Millions ticket.

On March 6, 2007, the Mega Millions jackpot reached $390 million,^[5] which is the record for the largest jackpot in US history. The jackpot was shared by two tickets, both matching the numbers of 16-22-29-39-42 and Mega Ball 20. Both winners chose the cash option, with each share $116,557,083 before withholdings.^[6]

2010 cross-sell expansion

The New Jersey Lottery, among others, in early 2009 announced it would seek permission to sell Powerball tickets alongside Mega Millions. In October 2009, an agreement between Mega Millions and MUSL allowed all US lotteries, including New Jersey's, to offer both games. On January 31, 2010, Mega Millions expanded to include 23 Powerball lotteries. As of that date, 35 jurisdictions were participating in Mega Millions. On the same day, 10 existing Mega Millions lotteries began selling Powerball tickets, for a then total of 43 lotteries. Ohio joined Powerball on April 16, 2010; currently, only California offers Mega Millions without also offering Powerball. On March 1, 2010, Montana became the first Powerball member to add Mega Millions after the cross-sell expansion. On March 20, 2010, Nebraska became the 37th Mega Millions member. On March 28, 2010, Oregon became the 38th Mega Millions member. Arizona, on April 18, 2010, became Mega Millions' 39th member. Maine, on May 9, 2010, became Mega Millions' 40th member. Colorado and South Dakota added Mega Millions on May 16, 2010, bringing the total to 42 jurisdictions The most recent addition to Mega Millions was the US Virgin Islands in October 2010.

Presumably due to their experience with the Power Play option for Powerball, all 23 lotteries joining Mega Millions on January 31, 2010 immediately offered Megaplier to their players. The Megaplier continues to be drawn by Texas Lottery computers, even though all Mega Millions members offer the multiplier.. Montana, offering Powerball before the expansion date, became the 24th lottery to offer Megaplier. Nebraska became the 25th lottery to offer Megaplier. Oregon became the 26th lottery to offer Megaplier. Arizona, by joining Mega Millions, became the 27th lottery to offer Megaplier. Maine, by joining Mega Millions, became the 28th lottery to offer Megaplier. Colorado and South Dakota joining Mega Millions, raised the number to 37 lotteries offering Megaplier.

Mega Millions tickets bought on or after September 12, 2010, with the Megaplier activated automatically win $1 million if the second-prize level is won.

A "combined" game was expected to become available by October 2011; each game would have cost $5. [10]

On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first Mega Millions member (just before the cross-sell expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning ticket for Powerball after joining Powerball. The ticket was worth over $211 million annuity (the cash option was chosen.) On May 28, 2010, North Carolina became the first Powerball member (just before the cross-selling expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket after joining Mega Millions. That jackpot was $12 million annuity.

Playing the game

Basic game

Since June 2005,^[7] a player picks, or allows the lottery terminal to pick, five different numbers from 1 through 56 (white balls) and one number from 1 through 46 (the Mega Ball number, a gold-colored ball).^[8] The Mega Ball number is drawn from a separate machine, so it can be a duplicate of one of the white ball numbers. The Mega Ball number cannot cross over to be used for matching a white ball number, or vice versa. Each play (a selection of six numbers for one drawing) costs $1. Tickets may be obtained from retail locations; some lotteries also allow subscription play.

Two drawing machines are used in Mega Millions. The model used for Mega Millions is the Criterion II, manufactured by Smartplay International of Edgewater Park, New Jersey. The balls are moved around by means of counter-rotating arms which randomly mix the balls. One by one, the five white ball numbers drop through a hole in the bottom of the mixing drum. There are 56 balls in the first machine; the 46 Mega Balls in the second machine are gold.

Previous incarnations of The Big Game and Mega Millions have used different matrices:

Jurisdiction	Powerball	Mega Millions
Arizona	1994	April 18, 2010
Arkansas	October 31, 2009	January 31, 2010
Connecticut	1995	January 31, 2010
Colorado	2001	May 16, 2010
Delaware	1991	January 31, 2010
Georgia	January 31, 2010	1996
Idaho	1990	January 31, 2010
Illinois	January 31, 2010	1996
Indiana	1990	January 31, 2010
Iowa	1988	January 31, 2010
Kansas	1988	January 31, 2010
Kentucky	1991	January 31, 2010
Maine	2004	May 9, 2010
Maryland	January 31, 2010	1996
Massachusetts	January 31, 2010	1996
Michigan	January 31, 2010	1996
Minnesota	1990	January 31, 2010
Missouri	1988	January 31, 2010
Montana	1989	March 1, 2010
Nebraska	1994	March 20, 2010
New Hampshire	November 1995	January 31, 2010
New Jersey	January 31, 2010	1999
New Mexico	1996	January 31, 2010
New York	January 31, 2010	2002
North Carolina	2006	January 31, 2010
North Dakota	2004	January 31, 2010
Ohio	April 16, 2010	2002
Oklahoma	2006	January 31, 2010
Oregon	1988	March 28, 2010
Pennsylvania	2002	January 31, 2010
Rhode Island	1988	January 31, 2010
South Carolina	2002	January 31, 2010
South Dakota	1990	May 16, 2010
Tennessee	2004	January 31, 2010
Texas	January 31, 2010	2003
US Virgin Islands	2002	October 4, 2010
Vermont	2003	January 31, 2010
Virginia	January 31, 2010	1996
Washington	January 31, 2010	2002
West Virginia	1988	January 31, 2010
Wisconsin	1992	January 31, 2010
Date	Pick 5 out of	Pick 1 out of
September 6, 1996	50	25
January 13, 1999	50	36
May 15, 2002	52	52
June 22, 2005 (current)	56	46

Megaplier (available to most Mega Millions players)

Mega Millions players, in 42 of its 43 jurisdictions, have the option to activate a multiplier, called Megaplier; it is functionally similar to Powerball's Power Play. (Megaplier is not yet offered in California.) By doubling the wager in a game, players have an opportunity to multiply any non-jackpot prize by 2, 3, or 4. The Megaplier is drawn by the Texas Lottery (before the cross-sell expansion on January 31, 2010, it was the only lottery to offer Megaplier) by a random number generator (RNG). Megaplier differs from Power Play in two ways: (1) there is no 5x Megaplier, and (2) the odds for each Megaplier possibility are not uniform (the 4x multiplier is heavily weighted so that it has a 12-in-21 chance of being selected.^[9]

Megaplier	Odds
2x	2:21 (9.5%)
3x	7:21 (23.3%)
4x	12:21 (57.1%)

Despite not having a 5x possibility, the extra weighting for a higher Megaplier results in the average expected Megaplier to be 3.476x. This is similar to Powerball's Power Play expectation of just over 3.5x.

Megaplier wagers made for drawings on or after September 12, 2010 that win second prize are automatically elevated to 4x, winning $1 million. A $1 million second-prize guarantee previously was added to Powerball's Power Play.

As part of the Megaplier expansion to all Mega Millions members, its RNG drawings are expected to move to Atlanta, Mega Millions' home base.

Winning and odds

A player wins a prize according to the following chart:

Matches[10]		Prize	Approximate probability of winning
Normal balls (pool of 56)	Mega ball (pool of 46)
5	1	Jackpot[11]	1 in 175,711,536 (56C5×46)[12]
5	0	$250,000	1 in 3,904,701[13]
4	1	$10,000	1 in 689,065[14]
4	0	$150	1 in 15,313[15]
3	1	$150	1 in 13,781[16]
2	1	$10	1 in 844[17]
3	0	$7	1 in 306[18]
1	1	$3	1 in 141[19]
0	1	$2	1 in 75[20]

Overall odds: 1 in 306.11 for winning at least a $10 prize, 1 in 49.89 for winning any prize.

In California, prize levels are paid on a parimutuel basis, rather than the fixed lower-tier amounts for winners in other Mega Millions jurisdictions.

Payment options

In Georgia, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas, players must choose, in advance, whether they wish to collect a jackpot in cash or annuity. Georgia and New Jersey winners can change an annuity ticket to cash; however, the choice is binding in Oklahoma and Texas.

If a jackpot prize is not claimed within the required time limit, each of the participating Mega Millions members get back all the money they contributed to that jackpot. The 43 jurisdictions use unclaimed prizes for different purposes; most of the 43 Mega Millions jurisdictions set aside unclaimed winnings for educational purposes.^[21][22]

In 2007, a $31 million prize went unclaimed in New York.^[23] Many prizes of $250,000 each have been unclaimed, including several in Michigan for 2007 drawings.^[24]

Claiming prizes

Mega Millions winners have either 180 days (California non-jackpot prizes only) or one year to claim prizes, including the jackpot (although some Mega Millions winners lose the right to collect a jackpot in cash if they wait more than 60 days after the drawing).

The minimum age to purchase a Mega Millions ticket is 18; there are three exceptions: Nebraska (19), with Arizona and Iowa having a minimum age of 21. Louisiana's minimum age of 21 will apply to Mega Millions when it becomes available there on November 16, 2011.

Generally (an exception is Virginia), minors can win on tickets received as gifts; the rules according to each Mega Millions member vary for minors receiving prizes.

Rules vary according to the applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdiction where the ticket is sold, and the winner's residence (e.g. if a New Jerseyan buys a winning ticket near their workplace in Manhattan). Mega Millions winnings are generally exempt from state income tax in California; New Hampshire, Texas and Washington have no state income tax. On the other hand, residents of New York City and Yonkers, New York pay city tax in addition to state and federal taxes.

The draw

Drawings are usually held at WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia.^[25] The original host was WSB's chief meteorologist, Glenn Burns. Currently, most drawings are emceed by the full-time host of Georgia Lottery drawings, John Crow, with Courtney Cason subbing on occasion. For jackpots in excess of $200 million, the drawing sometimes is moved to Times Square in New York City, with New York Lottery announcer Yolanda Vega co-hosting.

Before January 31, 2010, Mega Millions was the only multi-jurisdictional lottery whose drawings were carried nationally, instead of airing only in participating jurisdictions. Powerball drawings also began to air after that date nationally via Chicago cable superstation WGN-TV. WGN simulcasts Mega Millions drawings on its national WGN America superstation feed on Tuesdays and Fridays immediately following WGN's 9 p.m. (Central time) newscast with Powerball drawings being aired on Wednesdays and Saturdays after the 9 p.m. newscast (though both drawings air a minute later than on some television stations that carry either drawing).

Record jackpots (listed by cash value)

Cash value	Annuity value	Drawing date	Winner(s)	Description
$240m	$380m	January 4, 2011	2 (ID, WA)	Global record for cash value jackpot
$233m	$390m	March 6, 2007	2 (GA, NJ)	Global record for annuitized jackpot
$210m	$336m	August 28, 2009	2 (NY, CA)	NY winner chose annuity (the cash/annuity choice made "when playing" required per then-NY Lottery rules)
$208.3m	$330m	August 31, 2007	4 (NJ, MD, TX, VA)
$202.9m	$319m	March 25, 2011	1 (NY)	Largest MM jackpot won on 1 ticket[26]
$180m	$363m	May 9, 2000	2 (IL, MI)	Largest The Big Game jackpot

2012 price increase in Powerball

In January 2012, Mega Millions' rival Powerball will be altered; among the changes will be a price increase of $1 for each play, which will mean a base game will cost $2, or, $3 with the Power Play option. There are no plans to change the price of a Mega Millions play, with or without the Megaplier.

The price increase for playing Powerball was a major factor in Louisiana deciding to pursue joining Mega Millions. Louisiana will join Mega Millions on November 16, 2011.

Miscellany

In the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the legislature in Albany, fearing a monumental loss of revenue, passed legislation the following month, which was signed by Gov. George Pataki, that included joining a multi-jurisdictional lottery game. Around the same time, for entirely different reasons, Ohio's governor also gave the green light to joining a multi-jurisdictional game. Both lotteries opted to join the then-The Big Game, which, at the time, had seven members. The added populations of the two new jurisdictions, in turn, led to a larger double matrix (actually, the first machine continued to hold 52 balls, while 16 gold balls were added in the second, meaning there were 52 numbers to pick from in each part of a $1 game.) On May 15, 2002, the game was renamed The Big Game Mega Millions; soon after, it became just Mega Millions. Except for the 2010 cross-selling expansion, this was the only time The Big Game, Mega Millions, or Powerball simultaneously added more than one lottery.

In 2005, Mega Millions was the target of a mailing scam. A letter bearing the Mega Millions logo was used in a string of lottery scams designed to trick people into providing personal financial information by cashing bogus checks. The letter, which had been sent to people in several states via standard mail, included a check for what the scammers said was an unclaimed Mega Millions prize. If the check was cashed, it bounced, but not before the bank stamped it with a routing number and personal account information and sent it back to the fraudulent organization, providing them with the recipients' financial information.^[27]

A budget impasse due to the 2006 New Jersey Government shutdown led to the temporary closing of its less-important agencies on July 1, 2006. Among the casualties were the Atlantic City casinos and the New Jersey Lottery. Not only were New Jersey's in-house games (such as Pick-6) not drawn for about a week, but all New Jersey lottery terminals were shut down, meaning Mega Millions could not be played in New Jersey, even though Mega Millions was drawn as usual. (A similar shutdown happened in Minnesota on July 1, 2011.)

Elecia Battle made national headlines in January 2004 when she claimed that she had lost the winning ticket in the Mega Millions drawing of December 30, 2003.^[28] She then filed a lawsuit against the woman who had come forward with the ticket, Rebecca Jemison. Several days later, when confronted with contradictory evidence, she admitted that she had lied.^[29] She was charged with filing a false police report the following day. As a result of this false report, Battle was fined $1,000, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, and required to compensate the police and courts for various costs incurred.^[30]

The January 4, 2011 Mega Millions drawing drew attention for its similarity to "The Numbers," a sequence of six numbers that served as a plot device of the television series Lost. One such usage involved character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes playing the sequence in a similar "Mega Lotto" game, winning a nine-figure jackpot and subsequently experiencing numerous misfortunes in his personal life. The first three numbers (4, 8, 15) and mega ball (42) in the real-life drawing matched the first three numbers and the final number (which Hurley also used as the mega ball number) in the Lost sequence. Players who played The Numbers won $150 ($118 in California) for a non-Megaplier ticket; $600 with the multiplier.^[31]

The 12 original (before the 2010 cross-sell expansion) Mega Millions members have each produced at least one Mega Millions jackpot winner.

See also

• Powerball
• Lottery jackpot records

Notes

1. ^ FAQs, Mega Millions, Retrieved on 2009-01-12
2. ^ http://www.megamillions.com/faqs/#4
3. ^ http://www.worldlottery.net/mega-power-lottery.asp Mega Power Lottery
4. ^ http://www.megamillions.com/winners/winner.asp?bioID=94FAEA2C-A966-44C3-8D6C-620756BEDFBA&startItem=1
5. ^ Megamillions.com
6. ^ Megamillions.com
7. ^ Michigan Lottery Through the Years, State of Michigan, Retrieved on 2009-01-12
8. ^ How To Play, Mega Millions, Retrieved on 2009-01-12
9. ^ http://www.molottery.com/mega_millions/mega_millions.jsp
10. ^ Prizes are uniform in all Mega Millions jurisdictions, except in California, where all prizes, including the jackpot, are pari-mutuel (payouts are based on sales and the number of winners of each prize level.) All other Mega Millions members' second through ninth prizes are set amounts, although in rare cases they can be reduced.
11. ^ If more than one play wins the jackpot in a given drawing, the prize is divided equally among 5+1 plays. Winners have one year to collect a jackpot share; for other prizes, the deadline also is one year, except in California, where it is 180 days. Other than in New York, Oklahoma, and Texas (see below), a jackpot winner has 45 days from the drawing, or in some jurisdictions, 50 days after claiming, to choose cash or annuity. The relative value of actual cash jackpot share fluctuates, averaging 47% of the annuity amount. Jackpots begin at $9 million (disbursed in 29 annual payments); the corresponding cash value is approximately $5 million, depending on interest rates.
12. ^ [1]
13. ^ [2]
14. ^ [3]
15. ^ [4]
16. ^ [5]
17. ^ [6]
18. ^ [7]
19. ^ [8]
20. ^ [9]
21. ^ Frequently Asked Questions
22. ^ What Happens to Unclaimed Prizes?
23. ^ Many major U.S. lottery prizes unclaimed - UPI.com
24. ^ Michigan.gov , Lottery - Top Unclaimed Prizes
25. ^ Mega Millions Drawing Time 11:00 PM Eastern time on Tuesdays and Fridays
26. ^ Boniello, Kathianne; Scott, Brendan (March 26, 2011). "Seven state workers haul in $319M Mega jackpot". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/winning_lucky_mega_millions_ticket_0gjRGnacOciyTUIe4PYdZJ. 
27. ^ Mega Millions Logo Officials Warn of Lottery scams - ScamFraudAlert
28. ^ "Women argue over 'lost' jackpot". BBC News. 2004-01-06. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3373077.stm. Retrieved 2008-02-19. 
29. ^ "Midwest: Ohio: Apology For Lottery Claim". The New York Times. 2004-01-09. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE4D81F31F93AA35752C0A9629C8B63. Retrieved 2008-02-19. 
30. ^ "Midwest: Ohio: Lottery Tale Costs Her $6,596". The New York Times. 2004-04-07. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E0DA1738F934A35757C0A9629C8B63. Retrieved 2008-02-19. 
31. ^ Bonner, Jessie et al. (2011-01-05). 2 winners for $380M lottery sold in Wash., Idaho. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-01-05.

External links

• MegaMillions.com - Official site
• Powerball.com/MegaMillions - Mega Millions on Powerball Official Site
• U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Telemarketing and "Telephone Services: Prizes & Sweepstakes".
• U.S. Federal Trade Commission. "New Spin On Sweepstakes Scams."
• Portalseven.com, Map of Jackpot Winning Locations - Check on the map where the Jackpot winning tickets were sold

Preceded by Powerball	World's largest lottery jackpot May 9, 2000–February 18, 2006	Succeeded by Powerball
Preceded by Powerball	World's largest lottery jackpot March 6, 2007–present	Succeeded by Incumbent