Mega Millions Winning Numbers - October 2024

What is Mega Millions

Mega Millions is a multi-state U.S. lottery available in 47 states (plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

How to play

• Each ticket costs $5.
• You choose five numbers from 1 to 70 (white balls), plus one “Mega Ball” from 1 to 24.
• Alternatively, you can use a Quick Pick/Easy Pick option to have numbers randomly selected.

Drawing schedule

Drawings are held twice weekly: every Tuesday and Friday night.

Prizes & Multiplier — What you can win

• There are nine prize tiers, ranging from small prizes all the way up to the jackpot.
• To win the jackpot, you must match all five white balls + the Mega Ball.
• If you match fewer numbers, you can still win smaller fixed-prize tiers (e.g. matching just the Mega Ball, or a mix of white balls + Mega Ball).
• As of April 2025, each ticket now includes a random “multiplier” (2×, 3×, 4×, 5× or 10×) — if your ticket wins a non-jackpot prize, that prize will be multiplied accordingly.
• Because of the multiplier, the minimum non-jackpot payout is now at least $10 (so you win more than the ticket cost).

Odds & Jackpot Growth

• The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 290,472,336.
• The odds of winning any prize (including small ones) are better — roughly 1 in 23.
• The jackpot doesn’t have a fixed cap. If no one wins, it “rolls over” and grows — often reaching levels in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Jackpot Payout: Cash vs Annuity

If you win the jackpot, you typically have two payout options:

• Cash option: a one-time lump sum payment (based on the cash pool for that drawing).
• Annuity option: payments spread over 30 years — one initial payment, then 29 annual payments, each increasing by about 5% per year.

Which option you choose can affect the amount you receive (especially after taxes).

Key recent changes (2025 update)

Since April 2025, the game structure has been updated:

• Ticket price raised to $5 (from previous $2).
• The “built-in multiplier” replaced the old optional add-on (formerly called “Megaplier”).
• The pool for the Mega Ball reduced (from 1–25 to 1–24), slightly improving jackpot odds.
• Lower-tier prizes were increased, and there are no more “break-even” prizes — you always win more than the cost of the ticket when you win.

In short: how Mega Millions works

• Pay $5, pick 5 numbers (1–70) + 1 Mega Ball (1–24) — or quick-pick.
• Drawings twice per week.
• Match all 6 numbers to win the jackpot (odds \~1 in 290M).
• Even small matches can win prizes, and non-jackpot wins are boosted by a 2×–10× multiplier.
• Jackpot winners can choose cash lump-sum or a 30-year annuity.