Mega Millions soars again. How to play, where you can buy tickets

LANSING, MI — With the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot of 2022 up for grabs Tuesday night, casual lottery players are beginning to get interested in playing, though they may not buy tickets very often. And while it’s easy to just walk into a shop and ask for a ticket, it makes playing all the more fun when you know how to play and choose your own numbers.

So for those of you interested in splurging a few bucks hoping to take home almost half of $1 billion, here’s our guide on how to play and what to know about the Mega Millions lottery.

Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game playable in 45 states, Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands. Players choose five white numbers between 1 and 70 and a single golden number between 1 and 25.

To win the jackpot, you must match all five white numbers and the golden ball. However, players can also win prizes just by matching a white ball and the golden ball, or you can win or get cash back just by matching the golden ball. The more numbers you match, the bigger your prize will be.

A full pricing table can be found here.

Related Story: How To Remain Anonymous In Michigan If You Win The Mega Millions Jackpot

Each ticket with a set of numbers — five white and one gold — costs $2, meaning 10 sets would cost $20. You can also add the “Multiplier” option for an extra $1 per ticket, which guarantees your winnings will be multiplied by 2x to 10x the amount if you win. This means that a win of $10 can turn into $100 if you play the multiplier and the 10x option appears.

However, the multiplier does not apply to the top prize, so you cannot win and multiply the jackpot.

Mega Millions draws take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00pm EST. In Michigan, you can purchase tickets for the draw until 10:45 p.m. at more than 10,500 Michigan lottery locations. Tickets can be purchased at gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants and more.

If you don’t have time to go to a retailer before the drawing and are in Michigan, you can also purchase tickets online through the Michigan Lottery website. All you have to do is create an account, add your payment information, find the game you want to play and buy the tickets.

To create an account, visit the website and click “Register” at the top of the page. From there, you’ll enter your email address, name, date of birth, social security number, and other information that the state will use to verify your age/identity and to help contact you if you have one win big prize.

Once you have created your account, you can deposit funds via credit/debit card, PayPal, online bank transfer and more. The minimum deposit is $10.

When the money is in your account you can search for Mega Millions and the system will help you get your tickets. You can choose your own set of special numbers or use the autofill option and a set of computer generated numbers will be chosen for you.

From there, add these tickets to your cart, proceed to checkout and your tickets will be saved to your account. The online option is also helpful in that if you win a smaller prize the money will go straight into your account and if you win a big prize the lottery will contact you to let you know you’ve won big .

For the latest on the Michigan Lottery, visit the Michigan Lottery official website, which also has more information about instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.

The last Michigan player to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is lottery club Wolverine FLL, who hit a $1.05 billion jackpot in March 2021. With their profits, the group plans to give back to the community.

And while they were lucky winners, it’s wise for players to check their tickets right away, as a $1 million winner sold in Warren last year went unclaimed. The money went to the state school aid fund instead.