Mega Millions is an American multi-jurisdictional lottery game. It is offered in 45 states as of January 30, 2020, as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The first Mega Millions drawing was held in 2002. As of April 2018, there are over 125 million players registered worldwide. However, there are still several ways to play Mega Millions. Listed below are some of the most common ways to play the game.
In February 1998, the game was expanded to include Tuesday drawings. It also added a cash payout option. New Jersey joined in May 1999. In May 2002, the game was rebranded to Mega Millions. In September 2002, Washington and Ohio joined. In December 2003, Texas joined the Mega Millions, and in June 2005, California became the 12th member state. As of June 2011, Mega Millions jackpots are offered in twenty-seven states.
Mega Millions drawing is conducted using two machines. The first machine is called Criterion II, manufactured by Smartplay International. It has counter-rotating arms to mix up the balls. At least five white balls are dropped at a time through a drum. Then, one of them will match the winning numbers. In 2010, the Mega Millions drawing machine added 16 gold balls to the mix. It was the only time that both games had two members at the same time.
In addition to the big jackpots, Mega Millions also features a second prize of $1 million. The drawings take place at 11:00 pm Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays. Players can view the drawings on the Mega Millions website. Mega Millions winning numbers are published after the drawing. There are no tickets that can be returned or refunded, and no one will ever know if they have won the jackpot. But, if you happen to win a jackpot, it’s a great feeling!
The prize level of Mega Millions depends on which state you play in. Players can change their tickets from annuity to cash if they wish to. But, players in Texas and Georgia must wait 60 days before they can change their tickets to cash. If the winning tickets were sold in the same state, the cash/annuity choice is still available. But, you can’t change the date of the draw. The winning ticket must be claimed within 180 days.
The Mega Millions jackpot has won more than $3 billion in the past five years. In January 2019, a Florida player won $451 million, while a New Jersey player won $533 million on March 30. The next year, the jackpot will be won twice in New Jersey, with one winner claiming the winning prize on February 11 and again on July 24. If you’re lucky enough to win the jackpot, you’ll be delighted to know that the odds of winning are extremely high.
While the lottery is not yet a sure thing, it has been a popular way to win the jackpot in recent years. The lottery was introduced in the United States in 2006, and has continued to be popular across the globe. In fact, the lottery has exceeded all expectations. The jackpot was at $451 million in January 8, 2018, when Shane Missler of Port Richey, Florida won the jackpot. In the previous format, players were able to choose between two games: the gold MegaBall from the first field of 25 numbers and the white ball for the second game.
