Mega Millions jackpot up to $141 million: Get your tickets
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The jackpot for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing is estimated to be worth $141 million. The cash option for such a prize would be slightly more than $68 million. Tickets can be purchased in Michigan by anyone 18 years or older, either in-person at a licensed lottery retailer or online.
If you can match all six balls (numbered 1 to 70 and 1 to 25 for the special gold ball), you’ll win the grand prize jackpot, or share it with anyone who might also do so.
The easiest way to play is to create an account online with the Michigan Lottery. From there, either on your smartphone, tablet, or computer, you can pay as little as $2 for an entry in Mega Millions.
The drawing for Mega Millions takes place at 11 p.m. ET, and the winning numbers can be seen on the Michigan Lottery website or app, or via your local news stations.
The Mega Millions game is available in 45 states across the U.S. The only states that do not participate in the multi-state lottery game are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. It’s also available in the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory.
Mega Millions debuted in 1996, when it was known as “The Big Game,” because it was available to lottery players across the United States.
Four times in the past, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown as large as $1 billion, the last time in January of 2023.
Players can purchase tickets for Mega Millions at lottery retailers in their community, or online. Look for the familiar “Mega Millions” multi-color logo at your convenience store, grocery, liquor store, or drug store. Some restaurants, saloons, and taverns may also be licensed to sell tickets. You may also find ticket kiosks at social and service clubs like the VFW, Elks, and Eagles lodges. The Michigan State Lottery page maintains a list of all licensed lottery retailers.
For Mega Millions, Michigan lottery players pick six numbers from two pools of numbers:
- 5 numbers from 1 to 70 (these are the white balls)
- 1 number from 1 to 25 (this is the gold “Mega Ball”)
You may pick those numbers yourself, or choose the Quick Pick, which randomly selects the six numbers for you for every entry you pay for.
To win Mega Millions, you must match all six winning numbers in the lottery drawing to claim the top prize and jackpot. If more than one person matches those six numbers, they split the grand prize jackpot, which is in excess of $140 million for tonight’s drawing.
Even if you do not match all six balls, you can win in other ways. Mega Millions offers nine ways to win a prize:
- All five white balls + mega ball = Jackpot
- All five white balls = $1 million
- Four white balls + mega ball = $10,000
- Four white balls = $500
- Three white balls + mega ball = $250
- Three white balls = $10
- Two white balls + mega ball = $10
- One white ball + mega ball = $4
- Mega ball = $2
Your overall chances of winning a prize are 1 in 24. Your chances of winning at least $2 is 1 in 37.
Odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. Odds for winning $1 million is 1 in 12,607,306.
Winning at Mega Millions is not a game of skill. A lottery is based on chance. Winners often explain that they simply picked the numbers “out of thin air” or used the quick pick/easy pick option. But, since the game is based on the numbers randomly picked from the Mega Millions hoppers, you’re not playing against anyone else, you’re simply picking numbers against the odds.
You should always play Mega Millions or other lottery games for fun, and not as a basis for paying your bills or solving any financial problems. Strive to see the games as entertainment, and you’ll be fine win or lose.
You should also be sure to stay away from lottery hot trends: there is no correct way to “beat” the Mega Millions game or “crack some code” to win. Each ball is just as likely to be selected during a drawing as any other ball. Just because a number has not been pulled for weeks, doesn’t mean that number is “due” to be picked during Mega Millions in Michigan.
Why drive to the store to buy tickets twice a week, when you can play Mega Millions from home, while wearing your favorite pajamas or even on the treadmill?
With the Mega Millions online app or website, you’ll be able to pick your numbers, or ask the random generator to choose them for you. There’s even an option for saving your favorite numbers and ticket orders.
You can also set up an alert on your phone so you know the winning numbers when the drawing is concluded.
Each time you buy an entry in Mega Millions you have the option to pay $1 for a “megaplier.” The megaplier makes any non-jackpot prize by 5x. That means if you win the $1 million prize, it’s boosted to $5 million. If you win the $500 prize it becomes $2,500, and so on.
If you are lucky enough to win the jackpot, you’ll be presented with two payment options: a lump sum or annuity spread out over 30 years.
The best option is the lump sum: get your entire jackpot prize in one payment immediately. Of course, taxes will be taken out of the winnings, but you’ll get a huge payoff right away. Otherwise, you can get an annuity paid out over 30 years, with the payment amounts increasing by 5% each year.
If you find that you cannot control your gambling, or start to wager money you cannot afford to lose, you may wish to seek resources for problem gambling. Michigan has many resources for consumers in the state.
Use our exclusive link to play Mega Millions online. You can create your account today, purchase tickets in minutes, and watch the drawings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Sidelines Group provides MLive with original sports betting, lottery and casino content including odds, analysis, predictions and reviews to educate bettors. Please bet responsibly.
If you have a gambling problem and are located in Michigan, call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-270-7117 or you can visit the Michigan Gaming Control Board’s website at https://www.michigan.gov/mgcb.
