How to Win the Mega Millions

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 14, 2021 References

The only way to have any chance at winning the Mega Millions lottery is to play the game, but there is no way to guarantee a win. Certain number patterns do appear more commonly among past winning combinations, but ultimately, the only proven way to improve your own odds is to play more than one ticket per game.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Part One: Play the Game

1
Buy a ticket. Each Mega Millions ticket costs $2.00 to play or $3 if you have added the megaplier, and there is no limit on the number of tickets you can buy at one time. When you purchase your ticket, you will need to choose six numbers.^{[1]
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- The six numbers are split into two parts: the five main "white" numbers can range between 1 and 70, while the gold "mega ball" number can range between 1 and 25.
- You can select your own numbers or purchase an "Easy Pick" ticket that will automatically select random numbers for you.
- Lottery tickets can typically be purchased at gas stations, grocery stores, and convenience stores. Make sure that your state participates in the Mega Millions before attempting to purchase a ticket, though.
- Also note that you need to be 18 or older to play the Mega Millions. As such, you may need to show proof or your ID when making a purchase.
2
Check and double-check the numbers. Drawings for the Mega Millions are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 PM EST. Your ticket will only be valid for the first drawing after you purchase it.
- Check the numbers from an official Mega Millions source instead of accepting secondhand information. You can view the Mega Millions drawings on the official YouTube page or check the current numbers on the Mega Millions homepage.
- The YouTube page can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/megamillions46/videos
- The official listing of winning numbers can be found here: http://www.megamillions.com/winning-numbers
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3
Know how to win. You'll win the jackpot only if your ticket matches all six numbers of the winning draw. Even if you don't win the jackpot, though, there are other ways you can win smaller amounts of money.
- The jackpot is the only amount that is not fixed. All other prize amounts will remain the same regardless of the current value of the jackpot.
- Matching certain numbers will allow you to win certain amounts of money:^{[2]
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  - Five main/white numbers: $1,000,000
  - Any four main/white numbers and the mega ball: $10,000
  - Any four main/white numbers: $500
  - Any three main/white numbers and the mega ball: $200
  - Any three main/white numbers: $10
  - Any two main/white numbers and the mega ball: $10
  - Any main/white number and the mega ball: $4
  - The mega ball only: $2
4
Know how to claim your winnings. If you've won any Mega Millions prize money, you need to take it to an authorized lottery sales agent for validation.
- Anyone authorized to sell Mega Millions lottery tickets is also authorized to accept winning tickets.
- When turning in your ticket, you will need to sign the back. If the prize exceeds $599, you will likely need to complete a claim form and send it into the state's lottery commission.
- Make sure that you claim the ticket winnings within the correct deadline. The exact deadline can vary by state, but it can range anywhere from 90 days to one year.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Part Two: Utilize Proven Strategies

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Buy more than one ticket. The only undeniable way to increase your odds of winning would be to buy more than one ticket each time you play. Your chances will still be fairly low, but they do improve slightly with each set of numbers you play.
- The key here is to choose a different set of numbers for each ticket. Do not buy multiple tickets with the same string of six numbers. In fact, it might be a good idea to choose completely different numbers for each ticket to maximize your odds of winning at least one of the smaller prizes.
- As of early 2015, the odds of winning the jackpot were roughly 1 in every 258.9 million. By purchasing a second ticket, those odds increase to 2 in every 258.9 million. In this manner, you can slightly improve your odds of success with each ticket, even though the improvement might seem nominal. Note that the metric of the new system decreases your odds of winning the jackpot to 1 in 302,575,350.
- Also note that your odds of winning at least one of the nine possible prizes is about 1 in 14.71, so buying more than ticket greatly improves those chances. In fact, purchasing just two tickets already increases your odds to 1 in 7.355.
2
Concentrate your play on fewer games. If you have a fixed budget you can afford to spend on lottery tickets, it would be better to save your money and buy multiple tickets once every month or two instead of purchasing one ticket each drawing.
- Your odds of winning do not increase with the number of lottery games you play. Those odds can only improve by purchasing more entries/tickets per game, so it's wiser to invest your money in one game than in spreading it out over the course of several.
- The game you choose to play on is ultimately your choice. More people tend to play when the jackpot is high. The number of people playing won't affect your odds of winning, but it does mean that there is a greater chance of more people selecting the winning numbers, and as such, a greater chance that you will need to split the jackpot even if you do win it.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Part Three: Pick the Right Numbers

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Mix even and odd numbers. Keep a relatively even mix of even and odd numbers. Ideally, you should aim for either three odd and two even numbers, or three even and two odd numbers.^{[3]
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- Note that this even-to-odd ratio only affects the five main white balls. You should be able to choose either an odd or even number for the mega ball, regardless of which numbers you choose as your main five.
- Even if you don't maintain an ideal ratio, you should avoid having all odd or all even numbers. All even or all odd strings only make up roughly 3 percent of the past winning combinations.
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Combine high and low numbers. Of the five white balls, two or three should be between 1 and 38. The remainder should be between 39 and 70.
- Split the total playing range in half. Since you can only play numbers 1 through 75, this means your low half will be 1 through 38 and your high half will 39 through 75. Try to choose a relatively equal amount numbers from both halves when picking numbers for the five main balls.
- As with even and odd numbers, only approximately 3 percent of the past winning combinations have consisted of either all high numbers or all low numbers.
3
Play balanced numbers. Before settling on your five main numbers, add them together and check the total. Ideally, the sum should be between 140 and 240.
- The lowest sum your numbers could possibly equal would be 5 and the highest sum would be 375. When you have a sum in between 140 and 240, you've hit the ideal median range and your game is said to be "balanced."
- Approximately 70 percent of past winning combinations were balanced.
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Skip number groups. Since there are only five main numbers, you'll never be able to represent all eight number groups. Oftentimes, though, there are even fewer than five number groups represented in the winning combination.
- Number groups count off in groups of ten: 0s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.
- It's unlikely that all five main numbers will come from one number group, but it's fairly common for one number group to be represented more than once. As a general rule, try to choose numbers that represent three to four of these number groups.
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Select both hot and cold numbers. "Hot" numbers are those that have been part of the winning combination for the past six games. "Cold" numbers are those that haven't been included in past six.
- There's no fixed ratio of hot to cold numbers, but you should try to include at least one of each in your group of five. It's just as unlikely that all five numbers will be "cold" as it is that all five will be "hot."
- Also note that it is impossible to predict when a cold number will enter into circulation again. Two cold numbers can be inactive for equal amounts of time, and one might suddenly become hot while the other stays cold.
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Avoid identical combinations. Number combinations that have won in the past are unlikely to win again, so duplicating a winning combination from the past will almost always result in failure.
- Statistically, any specific string of numbers has a chance of being drawn only once in approximately 2,500,000 years. That doesn't mean it can't happen, of course. There has been one set of five numbers drawn twice since the start of Mega Millions (11-14-18-33-48),^{[4]
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- For this reason, it's also a good idea to change your number combination each time you play instead of sticking with the same one. Your initial combination is no more likely to win than any other combination you could choose.
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Skip strings of consecutive numbers. Avoid choosing the combination 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 for your Mega Millions ticket. Similarly, avoid choosing any set of five consecutive numbers.
- Consecutive strings are so poorly balanced that they are extremely rare and almost never occur.
- Note, however, that it is not uncommon for two numbers within a string of five to directly follow one another (e.g., 15 and 16, 43 and 44, 59 and 60, etc.). Consecutive pairs are okay, but consecutive strings of five are very rare.
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Don't bet on patterns. Any pattern is predictable, but in a random drawing like the Mega Millions, perfect patterns are quite rare and probably won't win.
- One pattern people mistakenly play involves creating a straight line vertically or diagonally across the number ticket.
- Number multiples (e.g., 4-8-12-16-20, 8-16-24-32-40, etc.) are another pattern people tend to gravitate toward erroneously.
- A final pattern you should avoid involves choosing numbers that all have the same last digit (e.g., 7-17-27-37-47).
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Try playing random numbers.^{[5]
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Research source} If you haven't had any luck choosing your own numbers, you can purchase a randomized “Easy Pick” ticket instead.
- Since the Mega Millions winning numbers are chosen at random, using a randomized system to blindly choose the numbers you play can actually work to your favor. You'll be more likely to end up with a set of numbers that is truly random, rather than a set that has been subliminally influenced by your own biases and ideas.
- If you plan on purchasing more than one ticket, consider both strategies. Choose your numbers for one ticket and let the machine choose random numbers for your second ticket.

Community Q&A

Question

To win, do my numbers have to be in the same order as those drawn?

Community Answer

No. As long as you've picked the numbers that are drawn, the order is not important.
Question

Are taxes taken out of a Mega Millions win?

Community Answer

Yes, taxes on large lottery winnings are nearly 40%.
Question

Are lottery balls manipulated by the lottery comission?

Community Answer

No, they are not.

Warnings

No strategy can guarantee success, and technically, every number combination has the same chance of occurring as any other regardless of how it does or doesn't fit with any known strategy.

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