Mega Millions odds under the 2025 rules
Since 8 April 2025 a Mega Millions ticket wins the jackpot 1 in 290,472,336: five white balls from 1 to 70 and the gold Mega Ball from 1 to 24. Some prize comes 1 in 23.1.
Odds of every prize
| You match | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 5 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 290,472,336 | 0.00000034% |
| 5 numbers, without Mega Ball | 1 in 12,629,232 | 0.0000079% |
| 4 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 893,761 | 0.00011% |
| 4 numbers, without Mega Ball | 1 in 38,859 | 0.0026% |
| 3 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 13,965 | 0.0072% |
| 3 numbers, without Mega Ball | 1 in 607 | 0.16% |
| 2 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 665 | 0.15% |
| 1 number + Mega Ball | 1 in 85.8 | 1.17% |
| 0 numbers + Mega Ball | 1 in 35.2 | 2.84% |
The 2025 change removed one gold Mega Ball, from 25 to 24, which made every tier that needs the Mega Ball a little easier. The jackpot also needs all five white balls; the second prize, five white balls without the Mega Ball, comes 1 in 12,629,232.
The game also added a built-in multiplier to non-jackpot prizes. Multipliers change what a win pays, not how often it happens, so the odds here do not depend on them.
Compared with Powerball: the jackpot odds are almost the same, Powerball's slightly longer. One Powerball jackpot is as likely as 1.01 Mega Millions jackpots.
The latest Mega Millions winning numbers, every draw since the data begins and a checker for your own numbers: Mega Millions results.
How long a jackpot takes
| Tickets a week | Years | Tickets in all | Chance of ever hitting the jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 520 | 0.00018% |
| 1 | 50 | 2,600 | 0.00090% |
| 10 | 10 | 5,200 | 0.0018% |
| 10 | 50 | 26,000 | 0.0090% |
| 100 | 10 | 52,000 | 0.0179% |
| 100 | 50 | 260,000 | 0.0895% |
Even a hundred tickets every week for fifty years leaves the jackpot far more likely missed than won. Buying more changes how much you spend much faster than it changes the odds; do more tickets help? works through it.
After tax: a jackpot is taxed as income, at up to 37% federal plus your state's rate, and the lottery withholds only 24%. See what the lump sum and the annuity leave after tax.
Questions
What are the Mega Millions odds now?
The jackpot is 1 in 290,472,336 per ticket since 8 April 2025, when the Mega Ball pool went from 25 to 24.
Is Mega Millions easier to win than Powerball?
Marginally: its jackpot is 1 in 290,472,336 against Powerball's 1 in 292,201,338. The difference is too small to matter to any single player.
What is the most common Mega Millions win?
Matching the Mega Ball alone, 1 in 35.2.
Odds are exact for one standard ticket and come from the game's published format; prize amounts and ticket prices change and are not shown here. See the methodology. Playing should stay fun: free help.