Mega Millions History: Top 5 Fun Facts

Folks love playing Mega Millions for its many giant jackpots, but there's still a lot most people don't know about this multi-state draw game. Throughout its long, interesting history Mega Millions has undergone plenty of dramatic changes that have transformed it from a small, unknown lottery into the major powerhouse it is today. Check out our top 5 fun facts from Mega Millions history to transform yourself from a mega rookie to a mega expert!

What are the most surprising Mega Millions facts?

1. Mega Millions is a virgo

Tickets for the draw game now known as Mega Millions were first sold on August 31, 1996 - making it a virgo!

2. Mega Millions was the result of a mega collaboration

The exciting new concept for a potentially massive multi-state game was the result of planning and talks between heads of the Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, and Virginia lotteries.

It's doubtful any of them could have known how massive their project would eventually grow.

3.. It wasn't always Mega Millions

With such an iconic brand it's hard to imagine playing the lottery without seeing the Mega Millions name, but this lotto actually started out life as The Big Game.

The Big Game was renamed to Mega Millions back in 2002 as part of sweeping format changes and expansions.

4. Mega Millions wasn't always so mega

Everything has to start somewhere, and for Mega Millions that somewhere was only six states: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia.

For years, those were the only states selling Mega Millions tickets, though starting in 1999 it would start to grow, state by state.

Currently, Mega Millions is sold in 45 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

5. Its jackpot is even harder to win than Powerball's

As Powerball has held the biggest jackpot record since 2016 you might assume it has the lowest jackpot odds of any lottery.

However, that assumption would be wrong, as Mega Millions's jackpot winning chances of 1 in 302,575,350 are even steeper than Powerball's 1 in 292,201,338.

There is a silver lining, though, as the odds of winning any prize in a Mega Millions draw is slightly higher than with Powerball - 1 in 24 vs. 1 in 24.9.

What's next for Mega Millions history?

Throughout its history, Mega Millions has created countless millionaires and even awarded multiple billion-dollar prizes.

Still, this lottery shows no signs of slowing down and every Tuesday and Friday night mark a new opportunity to win big.

Ready for your shot at becoming a part of Mega Millions history? Purchase your tickets online in time for the next draw!