Your Mega Millions Megaplier Ticket Guide
Mega Millions already has a reputation for awarding some of the biggest lottery prizes in history, but did you know there's a way to make those prizes even bigger? It may seem a little complicated at first, but stick with this Megaplier Ticket Guide and you'll be learning all about the ways in which this optional add-on can multiply prizes by up to 5 times!
What is the Mega Millions Megaplier?
The Megaplier is an optional add-on that can be added to a Mega Millions ticket. What adding the Megaplier means for you is that the ticket costs slightly more, but non-jackpot prizes are multiplied by between 2 and 5 times. If you've heard of Powerball's Power Play multiplier you'll already be familiar with the general idea.
To give an example, if you were to match the 5 main numbers in a Mega Millions draw, you would normally win the second-division $1 million prize. Select the Megaplier with your ticket purchase, however, and that prize would shoot up to $2 to $5 million, depending on which Megaplier number was drawn.
How are Mega Millions Megaplier numbers picked?
So the next question is how are Mega Millions Megaplier numbers chosen?
The Megaplier is another number that's separate from the rest of the Mega Millions draw and comes with its own set of odds.
The number is selected before the regular draw from a pool of 15 balls. As you can see in the table below, the most probable Megaplier number is 3 and the least probable is 5.
|
2 times the prize won (2X)
|
5
|
1 in 3
|
|
3 times the prize won (3X)
|
6
|
1 in 2.5
|
|
4 times the prize won (4X)
|
3
|
1 in 5
|
|
5 times the prize won (5X)
|
1
|
1 in 15
|
|
TOTAL
|
15
|
|
Prize amounts here don't take into account any relevant taxes. Actual winnings may be smaller.
What is the Mega Millions cost per ticket with Megaplier?
All of the above makes the Megaplier sound like an obvious purchase, but it's still import to factor in the Mega Millions cost per ticket with Megaplier.
The Megaplier add-on is half the price of a regular Mega Millions ticket. That means that adding the Megaplier is like buying 1 line for the price of a line and a half.
Still, the Megaplier cost stays the same no matter what number ends up being chosen. It doesn't matter if the Megaplier multiplies your ticket by 2 times or 5 times, it'll always be the same exact price.
How much can you win with the Megaplier?
While it would be great if the Megaplier could multiply jackpots (who wouldn't want to win $7.5 billion?) it only has an effect on non-jackpot prizes.
On the other hand, it does have quite an impact on secondary-prizes, as you can see in this table:
|
5 + MB*
|
Jackpot
|
Jackpot
|
Jackpot
|
|
5
|
$1 million
|
$2 million
|
$3 million
|
|
4 + MB
|
$10,000
|
$20,000
|
$30,000
|
|
4
|
$500
|
$1,000
|
$1,500
|
|
3 + MB
|
$200
|
$400
|
$600
|
|
3
|
$10
|
$20
|
$30
|
|
2 + MB
|
$10
|
$20
|
$30
|
|
1 + MB
|
$4
|
$8
|
$12
|
|
0 + MB
|
$2
|
$4
|
$6
|
|
5 + MB*
|
Jackpot
|
Jackpot
|
|
5
|
$4 million
|
$5 million
|
|
4 + MB
|
$40,000
|
$50,000
|
|
4
|
$2,000
|
$2,500
|
|
3 + MB
|
$800
|
$1,000
|
|
3
|
$40
|
$50
|
|
2 + MB
|
$40
|
$50
|
|
1 + MB
|
$16
|
$20
|
|
0 + MB
|
$8
|
$10
|
*Mega Ball
Is the Mega Millions Megaplier worth it?
After all that, you may still be wondering if the Mega Millions Megaplier is worth it.
The Megaplier isn't magic; it definitely doesn't increase your chances of winning a prize. What it does do is increase the amount of any prize you are lucky enough to win.
In the end it all comes down to your own personal preference. Do you prefer paying as little as possible for tickets or do you want to maximize your winnings as much as possible if you do happen to win? Answer that one question on you'll know whether to add the Megaplier to your next online lottery ticket purchase at theLotter Colorado.