Mega Millions odds, tier by tier
Mega Millions' jackpot odds are 1 in 290,472,336 on a single $5 play, under the matrix that started April 2025. The overall chance of winning any prize is approximately 1 in 23 (megamillions.com); 1 in 23.07 per Delaware Lottery's published figure.. Every ticket now carries a built-in multiplier of 2x to 10x on non-jackpot prizes, at no extra cost, and there is no way to opt out of it.
The April 2025 format change
Mega Millions changed its rules for the drawing of April 8, 2025, and every figure on this page reflects that current format, not the one it replaced. Three things changed at once:
- The ticket price rose from $2 to $5.
- A multiplier is now built into every play at no extra cost, replacing the old $1 optional 'Megaplier' add-on.
- The Mega Ball pool shrank from 1-25 to 1-24, which changed the jackpot odds to the current 1 in 290,472,336. (This site does not have a verified figure for the exact pre-2025 jackpot odds on file, so it is not quoted here — only the current, confirmed number is.)
Mega Millions Consortium, 2026 and Mega Millions Consortium, 2026 both confirm the current matrix. If an article you find elsewhere quotes a $2 ticket, an optional Megaplier, or Mega Ball odds of 1-in-25, it is describing the game as it existed before April 2025 and has not been updated. That is worth checking before trusting any older page's odds.
Why the bonus-pool change mattered
The jackpot odds formula multiplies two counts together: the number of ways to choose the five white numbers, and the size of the bonus-ball pool, because a play has to match a specific white-ball combination and a specific Mega Ball. Shrinking that bonus pool from 25 numbers to 24 makes the single Mega Ball easier to match on its own, which is one reason the game could add a built-in multiplier and raise the price without stretching the jackpot odds out even further. The white-ball side of the formula (choosing 5 from 70) did not change in April 2025 — only the Mega Ball pool did. The full derivation, with every step shown, is on how lottery odds are calculated.
Mega Millions draws twice a week, Tuesday and Friday, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time — a different schedule from Powerball's Monday, Wednesday and Saturday draws. A ticket only counts toward the drawing printed on it; buying a Mega Millions ticket has no effect on a Powerball drawing or vice versa, since the two games run entirely separate number pools and separate drawings.
Every Mega Millions prize tier
Nine ways to win, from the jackpot down to $5, each shown at its base amount before the built-in multiplier.
Mega Millions is a pick-5-plus-1 game: five numbers from 1-70, plus one gold Mega Ball from 1-24. Every prize tier and its published odds are below. Mega Millions Consortium, 2026 confirmed this table on 2026-09-24.
Mega Millions
$5.00 per play, with the multiplier built in (no separate add-on price).| Match | Prize | Odds of one play |
|---|---|---|
| 5 white + Mega Ball | Jackpot (annuity or cash, see CASH_AND_TAXES) | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| 5 white, no Mega Ball | $1,000,000 base; $2,000,000-$10,000,000 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 12,629,232 |
| 4 white + Mega Ball | $10,000 base; $20,000-$100,000 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 893,761 |
| 4 white, no Mega Ball | $500 base; $1,000-$5,000 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 38,859 |
| 3 white + Mega Ball | $200 base; $400-$2,000 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 13,965 |
| 3 white, no Mega Ball | $10 base; $20-$100 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 607 |
| 2 white + Mega Ball | $10 base; $20-$100 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 665 |
| 1 white + Mega Ball | $7 base; $14-$70 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 86 |
| 0 white + Mega Ball | $5 base; $10-$50 after the built-in multiplier | 1 in 35 |
Overall odds of winning any prize: approximately 1 in 23 (megamillions.com); 1 in 23.07 per Delaware Lottery's published figure.. Figures from the official game site, checked 2026-09-24.
What each match actually means
| Match | In plain words |
|---|---|
| 5 white + Mega Ball | All five white numbers and the gold Mega Ball. The jackpot, and the only tier the built-in multiplier does not touch. |
| 5 white, no Mega Ball | All five white numbers, wrong Mega Ball. $1,000,000 base, $2,000,000-$10,000,000 once the multiplier is applied. |
| 4 white + Mega Ball | Four white numbers right, Mega Ball right. $10,000 base, $20,000-$100,000 multiplied. |
| 4 white, no Mega Ball | Four white numbers, wrong Mega Ball. $500 base, $1,000-$5,000 multiplied. |
| 3 white + Mega Ball | Three white numbers, Mega Ball right. $200 base, $400-$2,000 multiplied. |
| 3 white, no Mega Ball | Three white numbers, wrong Mega Ball. $10 base, $20-$100 multiplied. |
| 2 white + Mega Ball | Two white numbers, Mega Ball right. $10 base, $20-$100 multiplied. |
| 1 white + Mega Ball | One white number, Mega Ball right. $7 base, $14-$70 multiplied. |
| 0 white + Mega Ball | None of the white numbers, but the gold ball is right. $5 base, $10-$50 multiplied — matching only the Mega Ball still wins something. |
The multiplier is built in now, not optional
Every Mega Millions play now automatically gets one of five multipliers applied to any non-jackpot prize it wins. There is no ticket without one, so the lowest a non-jackpot win can be multiplied is 2x. The multiplier never touches the jackpot.
| Multiplier | Odds it is drawn |
|---|---|
| 2x | 1 in 2.13 |
| 3x | 1 in 3.20 |
| 4x | 1 in 8 |
| 5x | 1 in 16 |
| 10x | 1 in 32 |
Because the $5 price already includes the multiplier, there is nothing to add and nothing to opt out of. The tier table above shows the full base-to-multiplied range for exactly this reason: the prize you actually get for a non-jackpot win depends on which multiplier that play happens to draw.
California prizes are pari-mutuel here too
As with Powerball, California pays every non-jackpot Mega Millions prize on a pari-mutuel basis rather than the fixed and multiplied amounts shown above: the state's pool of sales for a tier is divided among that tier's California winners, so an actual California prize can land above or below the base/multiplied figures in the table. Mega Millions Consortium, 2026
Mega Millions odds FAQ
What are the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot?
1 in 290,472,336 on a single $5 play, under the matrix that started with the April 8, 2025 drawing.
Why do some articles say the odds are 1 in 302 million?
Because they were written before April 2025, when the Mega Ball pool was 1-25 instead of the current 1-24 and the ticket was $2. Those figures are simply out of date.
How much does a Mega Millions ticket cost?
$5.00 per play, with the multiplier built in at no extra charge.
Do I still have to pay extra for the Megaplier?
No. The old $1 optional Megaplier add-on was replaced in April 2025 by a multiplier that is automatically included on every $5 ticket.
What multipliers can I get?
2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x, applied to any non-jackpot prize you win. The odds of each are published in the table above, and the jackpot itself is never multiplied.
What are the overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize?
About 1 in 23, per megamillions.com, or 1 in 23.07 per the Delaware Lottery's published figure.
Are Mega Millions prizes the same amount in every state?
Not in California, which pays non-jackpot prizes pari-mutuel, so its actual payouts can differ from the base and multiplied amounts shown for other states.
Mega Millions odds: common questions
What are the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot?
1 in 290,472,336 on a single $5 play, under the matrix that started with the April 8, 2025 drawing.
Why do some articles say the odds are 1 in 302 million?
Because they were written before April 2025, when the Mega Ball pool was 1-25 instead of the current 1-24 and the ticket was $2. Those figures are simply out of date.
How much does a Mega Millions ticket cost?
$5.00 per play, with the multiplier built in at no extra charge.
Do I still have to pay extra for the Megaplier?
No. The old $1 optional Megaplier add-on was replaced in April 2025 by a multiplier that is automatically included on every $5 ticket.
What multipliers can I get?
2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x, applied to any non-jackpot prize you win. The odds of each are published in the table above, and the jackpot itself is never multiplied.
What are the overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize?
About 1 in 23, per megamillions.com, or 1 in 23.07 per the Delaware Lottery's published figure.
Are Mega Millions prizes the same amount in every state?
Not in California, which pays non-jackpot prizes pari-mutuel, so its actual payouts can differ from the base and multiplied amounts shown for other states.
Keep reading
Powerball odds
The same tier-by-tier breakdown for Powerball, including Power Play and Double Play.
Read →How lottery odds are calculated
The combination count behind the 1 in 290,472,336 figure, worked through step by step.
Read →What a ticket is actually worth
The tier table turned into an expected-value calculation, and why it is negative.
Read →The odds do not move, so check them yourself
Powerball is 1 in 292,201,338 and Mega Millions is 1 in 290,472,336 for one play. Every figure on this site is dated, sourced and shown with its arithmetic, and we sell nothing that could change any of it.