# How to Play Mega Millions: Rules in Plain English > A simple guide to Mega Millions: what you pick, what a play costs, how the Multiplier works, when draws happen and what each prize tier pays. - URL: https://www.lottocheck.ai/learn/how-to-play-mega-millions - Category: Game guides - Author: Maya Linden, Odds and Probability Writer (pen name of the LottoCheck editorial team) - Published: 2026-10-26 - Reading time: 7 min - Keywords: how to play mega millions ## In short - You pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 plus 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 24, and each play costs $5. - Draws are on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 PM Eastern, and the Multiplier is part of every play. - The jackpot odds are 1 in 290,472,336, and every draw is random. --- To play Mega Millions, you pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 and 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 24. Each play costs $5. Draws take place on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 PM Eastern. You win a prize when your numbers match enough of the drawn numbers. The jackpot goes to a ticket that matches all five numbers plus the Mega Ball. This guide explains the rules in plain English. It uses the rules in force since April 8, 2025. You will see what you pick, what a play costs, how the Multiplier works, when the draws happen and what every prize tier pays. You will also see the odds explained in simple words. One note before we start. Every draw is random. No pick is better than another, and nothing in this guide can help you win. ## What you pick: 5 numbers and 1 Mega Ball A Mega Millions play has two parts. Think of them as two separate sets of numbers. - **White numbers:** you choose 5 different numbers from 1 to 70. - **Mega Ball:** you choose 1 number from 1 to 24. The Mega Ball comes from its own group of 24 numbers. That means your Mega Ball can be the same as one of your five white numbers. For example, you could pick 12 as a white number and also pick 12 as your Mega Ball. They are drawn from different groups, so this is allowed. You can choose your own numbers, or you can ask for a random pick, often called a quick pick. Both work the same way. A random pick has the same chance as a pick you chose by hand. Birthdays, lucky numbers and patterns do not change your chances. Each number is just as likely as any other. The order of your five white numbers does not matter. If you pick 3, 14, 27, 40 and 65, it counts the same as picking them in any other order. ## What a play costs and how the Multiplier works Each play costs $5. A play is one set of 5 numbers plus 1 Mega Ball. If you want more than one set, each extra set is another play with its own price. The Multiplier is part of every play. You do not add it separately. A multiplier value is printed on each play. The possible values are 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x and 10x. Here is what the Multiplier does: - It multiplies the fixed prizes below the jackpot. - It never changes the jackpot. A simple example helps. Say a play wins a $10 prize and the value printed on that play is 3x. The $10 prize becomes $30, because 10 times 3 is 30. If the printed value is 2x, the same $10 prize becomes $20. The Multiplier only applies to fixed prizes. The jackpot varies from draw to draw, and the Multiplier has no effect on it. Always read the value printed on your own play, because it can differ from one play to the next. ## Draw days and times Mega Millions has a main draw on two days each week: Tuesday and Friday. The draw is at 11:00 PM Eastern time. Because the US has several time zones, the same draw happens at different clock times across the country. Here is the same draw in each US time zone. | Time zone | Summer | Winter | |---|---|---| | Eastern | 11:00 PM | 11:00 PM | | Central | 10:00 PM | 10:00 PM | | Mountain | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | | Arizona | 8:00 PM | 9:00 PM | | Pacific | 8:00 PM | 8:00 PM | | Alaska | 7:00 PM | 7:00 PM | | Hawaii | 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | Arizona and Hawaii are the two to watch. Their clock times change between summer and winter, while the draw itself stays at 11:00 PM Eastern. Arizona is 8:00 PM in summer and 9:00 PM in winter. Hawaii is 5:00 PM in summer and 6:00 PM in winter. If you want to know how the balls are actually picked, our guide on [how lottery numbers are drawn](/learn/how-are-lottery-numbers-drawn) explains the process. ## Prizes and odds for every tier There are nine ways to win a prize in Mega Millions. The more numbers you match, the bigger the prize, and the harder it is to get. The table below shows each tier, its odds and its base prize. | You match | Odds | Prize | |---|---|---| | 5 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 290,472,336 | Jackpot (varies) | | 5 numbers | 1 in 12,629,232 | $1,000,000 | | 4 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 893,761 | $10,000 | | 4 numbers | 1 in 38,859 | $500 | | 3 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 13,965 | $200 | | 3 numbers | 1 in 607 | $10 | | 2 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 665 | $10 | | 1 number + Mega Ball | 1 in 85.81 | $7 | | Mega Ball only | 1 in 35.17 | $5 | The prizes in the table are the base amounts, before any Multiplier. The jackpot is the one prize that changes. It is not a fixed amount, and the Multiplier never affects it. Notice the smallest prize. Matching only the Mega Ball pays $5. That is the same as the price of one play. So even a winning ticket in that tier gets you back what you paid, no more. ## What the odds mean in plain words The jackpot odds are 1 in 290,472,336. That is about 1 in 290.5 million. In plain words, for any single play, there are 290,472,336 possible combinations, and only one of them wins the jackpot. That number is hard to picture, so here is another way to see it. If you could list every possible Mega Millions combination, your play would be one line in a list of more than 290 million lines. Each line has the same chance of being drawn. The odds of winning any prize at all are 1 in 23.07. This sounds much better, and it is, but most of those wins are small. The two most common prizes are the $5 and $7 tiers. Check the table above to see that these have the best odds, at 1 in 35.17 and 1 in 85.81. A few honest points about odds: - **Each draw stands alone.** The balls have no memory. What came out last time has no effect on the next draw. - **No number is due.** A number that has not appeared for a while is not more likely to appear. Every number has the same chance every time. - **Quick picks and hand picks are equal.** How you choose does not change the odds. - **A play is not an investment.** Treat the $5 as the cost of entertainment, like a movie ticket. Do not expect it to come back. If you like to look at past results out of curiosity, you can browse [number statistics](/stats) on LottoCheck. Remember that past draws only describe what happened. They do not predict what will happen next. If you are comparing games, our [Powerball odds explained](/learn/powerball-odds) page shows how another big US game stacks up. ## After the draw: check your ticket Once the draw is over, you need to compare your numbers with the winning ones. Here is a simple routine. 1. Find the winning numbers: five white numbers and one Mega Ball. 2. Count how many of your five white numbers match. Order does not matter. 3. Check whether your Mega Ball matches the drawn Mega Ball. 4. Look up your result in the prize table. 5. If the tier pays a fixed prize, read the Multiplier value printed on your play and multiply the prize by it. Never assume a ticket lost without checking. Small prizes are easy to miss, because a single matching Mega Ball is a win. If you would rather not count by hand, the LottoCheck app can scan your ticket and show whether it won. Results in the app are unofficial, and official results always prevail. Before you throw away any ticket, confirm the result with the official Mega Millions site or your state lottery. For a full walk-through, see [how to check a lottery ticket step by step](/learn/how-to-check-a-lottery-ticket). You can also look at the [latest Mega Millions results](/results/mega-millions) to compare your numbers. ## Staying safe and keeping it fun Lottery games are meant to be a small bit of fun. They are not a plan for making money. A few habits keep play healthy: - Decide on a budget before you buy, and stick to it. - Never use money you need for bills, rent or food. - Do not chase losses by buying more because you did not win. - Take breaks, and stop if it stops being enjoyable. Be careful with messages that say you won a prize you never entered for. Real lotteries do not ask you to pay a fee to collect a prize. Our guide on [how lottery scams work](/learn/how-do-lottery-scams-work) shows the warning signs. If gambling is causing you or someone you know stress, free help is available. You can find support and treatment options through the [National Council on Problem Gambling](https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/). Play for fun and only spend what you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER for free, confidential help. LottoCheck is for adults 18 and older. ## FAQ ### How many numbers do you pick in Mega Millions? You pick 5 different numbers from 1 to 70, plus 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 24. The Mega Ball comes from its own group, so it can match one of your white numbers. Each play costs $5. ### What days is the Mega Millions draw? The main draw is on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 PM Eastern. That is 10:00 PM Central, 9:00 PM Mountain and 8:00 PM Pacific. Arizona and Hawaii shift between summer and winter, so check the time chart in this guide. ### Does the Multiplier change the jackpot? No. The Multiplier is part of every play, and a value of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x is printed on it. It multiplies the fixed prizes below the jackpot only. The jackpot is never changed by the Multiplier. ## Sources - Mega Millions: How to play: https://www.megamillions.com/How-to-Play.aspx - California Lottery: Mega Millions: https://www.calottery.com/en/draw-games/mega-millions - National Council on Problem Gambling: Help and treatment: https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/ --- For information only. Always confirm results, odds and rules with your official state lottery. LottoCheck does not sell tickets or pay prizes. Published by LottoCheck, https://www.lottocheck.ai/learn (lottery ticket checker app).