Who doesn’t want to be a Mega Millionaire? Mega Millions PA Lottery made its debut in six states as “the Big Game” four years since Powerball made its national debut.
The game became recognized as Mega Millions in May 2002. The first draw under its new name contributed to an Illinois resident winning the $28 million jackpot.
Mega Millions is now played in 45 states, including Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the United States. The Virgin Islands
Concurrent with the relaunch, Mega Millions responded to the demand for more enormous jackpots and relatively low prizes. It added a second tier of prizes and the Megaplier to assist lottery players in living their dreams.
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How to Participate in Mega Millions PA Lottery
Players choose six figures from two different pools of numbers:
- Five distinct numbers ranging from 1 to 70
- one number between 1 and 25 (the Megaball)
Players complete a play slip available at 9,300+ licensed Pennsylvania Lottery retail outlets.
Alternatively, a player can select the Easy Pick (aka Quick Pick) option, in which the lottery terminal chooses the numbers randomly.
Mega Millions and Powerball tickets will go on sale for online purchase at the PA iLottery beginning in 2020. In addition, the Quick Pick feature is available online.
Mega Millions and Powerball tickets are on sale for online purchases at the PA iLottery beginning in 2020. In addition, the Quick Pick feature is available online.
The jackpot begins at $40 million and develops by a minimum of $5 million for every draw until it is won. When a player matches all six numbers, they win the jackpot. When sales dropped due to coronavirus-induced shutdowns of many lottery retailers across the country, the Lottery temporarily lowered the jackpot restart sum to $20 million.
Except if a player chooses to add the Megaplier, Mega Millions costs $2. All non-jackpot prizes will be multiplied by two, three, four, or five for an additional $1, depending on the Megaplier drawing.
Mega Millions PA Winning Odds
The odds of winning are one in 302,575,350. However, your chances of winning any prize are much preferable at 1 in 24.
You might be shocked that the odds of winning an award are the same as any other Mega Millions drawing, despite the number of ticket sales. For example, when the marketed jackpot is $40 million or $1 billion, a player has to have a 1 in 24 chance of winning.
The Megaplier has its own set of odds. Before the drawing, the Megaplier is drawn from 15 balls:
- Five 2x balls: 1 in 3
- Six 3x balls: 1 in 2.5
- Three 4x balls: 1 in 5
- One 5x ball: 1 in 15
Mega Millions Lottery Drawings Held Weekly
Every week, there are two chances to create your Mega Millions dreams come true.
Every Tuesday and also Friday at 11 p.m., drawings are held. EST. The ticket sales deadline is 10:45 p.m. Individual retailers may only sell tickets up to this. The drawings are broadcast live on WSB-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta.
How to Determine Whether Your Mega Millions Ticket Is a Winner
The Pennsylvania Lottery website lets lottery players compare their numbers to the winning draw. The quickest way to learn if you are a winner is to download the Pennsylvania Lottery app.
The Pennsylvania Lottery App
The PA Lottery app is compatible with ios and Android. In addition, the app includes the Ticket Checker feature, which allows you to search specific lottery tickets to see whether they are winners.
It is simple to use:
- Scan the ticket by clicking the Scan Ticket button.
- Point your phone’s camera there at a large barcode in the corner.
- After scanning the ticket, you will instantly see the results.
How to Get Your Mega Millions Prize
Players can claim prizes less than $2,500 at a Pennsylvania Lottery retailer near you. Winners can claim their prize money as soon as the retailer does have enough cash available. For example, suppose the retailer has the funds to cover the player immediately. In that case, the player can try another retailer or file a claim through the mail.
Winners with tickets worth over $600 must fill out a claim form. Forms can be obtained from Lottery retailers as well as local Lottery offices.
Tickets with a prize value of more than $2,500 must be required to submit to a Lottery office. Gamblers can present a claim form and signed ticket in person or by mail.
Players must deliver a Mega Millions jackpot winning lottery ticket to Lottery headquarters in Middleton, PA. It is where jackpot winners can choose whether to receive their prize in one cash payment or as an annuity.
The annuity choice assures the winner 30 graduated payments of the annuity’s value over 29 years. In addition, the annual payments will be boosted by 5% until the final payment on the 30th.