Your Odds of Winning Mega Millions's Jackpot
With billion-dollar jackpots up for grabs, it's obvious why Oregonians love playing Mega Millions - but figuring out the odds of winning all the various prizes may be a bit more daunting. Don't worry, though, as we've got you covered! Keep reading for all the facts and figures you need to know about Mega Millions, its amazing prizes, and its gigantic jackpots.
What are the chances of winning Mega Millions?
The more people who play, the higher the chances of a big Mega Millions jackpot being shared among more than one winner. Because of this, the only probability that changes from one draw to another is the likelihood of the jackpot being split.
The popularity of different winning numbers can also play an important role, as we saw in one Mega Millions draw in 2011 with the numbers 4, 8, 15, 25, 47 and the Mega Ball 42. Since these numbers were quite similar to a famous set of lottery numbers from the hit TV show Lost (4, 8, 15, 26, 23, and 42) more than 40,000 players won a $150 prize. While secondary prizes are awarded in full to each winning player, if 40,000 players had actually won the $355 million jackpot on offer it would have turned into less than $9,000 per player.
What are the Mega Millions odds for secondary prizes?
With nine levels of Mega Millions prizes, there is more than enough to play for even if you happen to miss the chance of the grand jackpot.
|
1 Prize
|
5+1Mega Ball
|
1:302,575,350
|
|
2 Prize
|
5
|
1:12,607,306
|
|
3 Prize
|
4+1Mega Ball
|
1:931,001
|
|
4 Prize
|
4
|
1:38,792
|
|
5 Prize
|
3+1Mega Ball
|
1:14,547
|
|
6 Prize
|
3
|
1:606
|
|
7 Prize
|
2+1Mega Ball
|
1:393
|
|
8 Prize
|
1+1 Mega Ball
|
1:89
|
|
9 Prize
|
0+1Mega Ball
|
1:37
|
The odds of winning any of the prizes on offer at all are 1:24. So once you buy a Mega Millions ticket, your chance of winning a prize is about 4% – pretty good for one of the toughest draw games out there, and also slightly better Powerball’s 1:24.9 overall odds.
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions's jackpot?
As Mega Millions is responsible for 4 of the top 10 jackpots of all time, it’s no wonder the odds are pretty slim. But just how slim exactly are the odds of winning Mega Millions’s jackpot? Your chances of scoring that top prize are a puny 1 in 302,575,350.
That makes Mega Millions a bit harder to win than rival lottery Powerball, with its 1:292,201,338 winning chances.
Maximize your Mega Millions play with theLotter Oregon
Up for taking a crack at those odds? theLotter Oregon offers you plenty of smarter ways to play.
One great tool we offer is the systematic form, which allows you to easily create plenty of number variations at the touch of a button.
theLotter Oregon can also help make sure you never miss a draw, while getting every 10th ticket FREE, with Subscriptions. Alternatively, you can order in advance for up to 52 draws to receive fantastic discounts on your favorite games.
One more tool at your disposal is the optional Mega Millions Megaplier ticket add-on, which has the potential to multiply secondary prizes by up to 5 times – transforming a $1,000 prize into $5,000 winnings!
Put your Mega Millions luck to the test!
Now that you’re all caught up on the chances of winning Mega Millions you can try your luck at beating the odds by purchasing your lottery tickets online.
We wish you the very best of luck – you’ll need it!