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 | 0.000000% |
| 5 numbers, without Mega Ball | 1 in 12,629,232 | 0.000008% |
| 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.
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.
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.