Jump to content

Mega Millions: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
spelling of jackpot
→‎History: making "Washington" linkable
Line 10: Line 10:
Tickets went on sale in Georgia, Illinois, [[Maryland]], Massachusetts, [[Michigan]] and Virginia on [[August 31]], [[1996]], for the new lottery then known as '''The Big Game'''. Drawings were held weekly on Fridays until its first Tuesday drawing was added on [[February 10]], [[1998]]. Beginning in January 1999, jackpot winners had the choice to claim the prize in [[present value|cash]]. In May 1999, [[New Jersey]] joined The Big Game, the only jurisdiction to do so before the change to Mega Millions.
Tickets went on sale in Georgia, Illinois, [[Maryland]], Massachusetts, [[Michigan]] and Virginia on [[August 31]], [[1996]], for the new lottery then known as '''The Big Game'''. Drawings were held weekly on Fridays until its first Tuesday drawing was added on [[February 10]], [[1998]]. Beginning in January 1999, jackpot winners had the choice to claim the prize in [[present value|cash]]. In May 1999, [[New Jersey]] joined The Big Game, the only jurisdiction to do so before the change to Mega Millions.


New York and Ohio joined The Big Game on [[May 15]], [[2002]]. This was when the game was changed to its second name, '''The Big Game Mega Millions''', temporarily retaining the old name, and its "gold ball" logo. Also, the "Big Money Ball" changed its name to the "Mega Ball." After the game's name was altered, the yellow ball in the logo of the Mega Millions read "The Big Game." The first (The Big Game) Mega Millions drawing was held on May 17, 2002. Three more states later joined: Washington (September 2002), [[Texas]] (2003), and [[California]] (2005).
New York and Ohio joined The Big Game on [[May 15]], [[2002]]. This was when the game was changed to its second name, '''The Big Game Mega Millions''', temporarily retaining the old name, and its "gold ball" logo. Also, the "Big Money Ball" changed its name to the "Mega Ball." After the game's name was altered, the yellow ball in the logo of the Mega Millions read "The Big Game." The first (The Big Game) Mega Millions drawing was held on May 17, 2002. Three more states later joined: [[Washington]] (September 2002), [[Texas]] (2003), and [[California]] (2005).


On March 6, 2007, two winners split a record jackpot worth $233 million before taxes.<ref>http://www.megamillions.com/winners/jackpothistory.asp</ref> The advertised jackpot totaled $390 million,<ref>http://www.megamillions.com/winners/winner.asp?bioID=3&startItem=1</ref> representing a nominal sum of 26 annual installments before taxes and unadjusted for inflation or interest.
On March 6, 2007, two winners split a record jackpot worth $233 million before taxes.<ref>http://www.megamillions.com/winners/jackpothistory.asp</ref> The advertised jackpot totaled $390 million,<ref>http://www.megamillions.com/winners/winner.asp?bioID=3&startItem=1</ref> representing a nominal sum of 26 annual installments before taxes and unadjusted for inflation or interest.

Revision as of 04:18, 14 October 2009

File:Mega Millions logo.png
Mega Millions logo

Mega Millions is a multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game in the United States. There are 12 jurisdictions that have Mega Millions,[1] while 32 others, including the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands, offer Powerball, Mega Millions' main competitor. There are some differences in playing Mega Millions among its jurisdictions (details below).

Since May 2002, Mega Millions advertised jackpots have started at US $12 million paid over 26 years, increasing when there is no jackpot winner.[2] Reflecting common practice among American lotteries, the jackpot is advertised as a nominal value of annual installments. A lump sum (cash value) option, when chosen by a jackpot winner (see below), pays the approximate present value of the installments.

Mega Millions is drawn every Tuesday and Friday, including all holidays.

History

The Big Game logo prior to the Mega Millions name change.

Tickets went on sale in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Virginia on August 31, 1996, for the new lottery then known as The Big Game. Drawings were held weekly on Fridays until its first Tuesday drawing was added on February 10, 1998. Beginning in January 1999, jackpot winners had the choice to claim the prize in cash. In May 1999, New Jersey joined The Big Game, the only jurisdiction to do so before the change to Mega Millions.

New York and Ohio joined The Big Game on May 15, 2002. This was when the game was changed to its second name, The Big Game Mega Millions, temporarily retaining the old name, and its "gold ball" logo. Also, the "Big Money Ball" changed its name to the "Mega Ball." After the game's name was altered, the yellow ball in the logo of the Mega Millions read "The Big Game." The first (The Big Game) Mega Millions drawing was held on May 17, 2002. Three more states later joined: Washington (September 2002), Texas (2003), and California (2005).

On March 6, 2007, two winners split a record jackpot worth $233 million before taxes.[3] The advertised jackpot totaled $390 million,[4] representing a nominal sum of 26 annual installments before taxes and unadjusted for inflation or interest.

Playing the game

Since June 2005,[5] a player picks, or allows the Mega Millions computer to pick, five different numbers from 1 to 56 (white balls) and one number from 1 to 46 (the Mega Ball number, a gold-colored ball).[6] The Mega Ball number is drawn from a separate machine, so it can be a duplicate of one of the white ball numbers. Each play (a selection of six numbers for one draw) costs $1. In Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Texas, players must also choose, in advance, whether they wish to collect a jackpot in lump sum or annuity. Georgia and New Jersey winners can change an annuity ticket to cash; however, the choice is binding in New York and Texas. Tickets may be obtained from either retail locations, or by mail in select states (currently, only Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Virginia offer subscriptions by mail).

Previous incarnations of The Big Game and Mega Millions have had different matrices:

Date Pick 5 out of Pick 1 out of
September 9, 1996 50 25
January 13, 1999 50 36
May 15, 2002 (became Big Game Mega Millions) 52 52
June 22, 2005 (current) 56 46

Texas Megaplier

Mega Millions players within Texas also have the option to activate a multiplier, should they win a non-jackpot prize; for $2, a selection of five white numbers and a Mega Ball can win a double, triple, or quadruple prize (up to $1 million cash) with the Megaplier. This is in contrast to the game-wide option in Powerball's PowerPlay. Unlike the actual Mega Millions game, the Megaplier is drawn using a random number generator (RNG).

Rules and taxes

Tickets can be purchased until 15 minutes prior to the drawing (usually 11:00 PM Eastern time), accounting for local time zone differences.

Laws and regulations vary slightly and are governed by the applicable laws in the state where the ticket is sold, and the winner's home state (e.g. if a New Jersey resident buys a winning ticket near their workplace in Manhattan.) Mega Millions winnings are generally exempt from state income tax in California; Texas and Washington have no state income tax. On the other hand, residents of New York City and Yonkers, New York pay city tax in addition to state and federal taxes.

Winning and odds

As of 2009, a player wins a prize according to the following chart:

Matches[7] Prize Approximate
probability
of winning
Normal balls
(pool of 56) 		Mega ball
(pool of 46)
5 1 Jackpot[8] 1 in 175,711,536[9]
5 0 $250,000 1 in 3,819,816[10]
4 1 $10,000 1 in 16,895,340[11]
4 0 $150 1 in 367,290[12]
3 1 $150 1 in 1,275,120[13]
3 0 $7 1 in 27,720[14]
2 1 $10 1 in 70,840[15]
1 1 $3 1 in 2,576[16]
0 1 $2 1 in 46[17]

Currently, Mega Millions has better jackpot odds than Powerball (1:195 million).

The Mega Ball number cannot cross over to be used for matching a white ball number, or vice versa.

To put these odds in perspective, in Texas there are 1.41 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. A person living one mile from a retailer selling Texas Lottery tickets is nearly three times as likely to die in an accident traveling to and from that store than that of winning the Mega Millions jackpot on a $1 play.

Machines used

Like most games that use power or bonus balls, two machines are used. The model used is the Criterion II, manufactured by Smartplay International of Edgewater Park, New Jersey. The balls are moved around by means of counter-rotating arms which mix the balls in a random fashion. One by one, the winning numbers drop through a hole in the bottom of the mixing drum. To show the difference between which numbers are which, the balls in the first machine are white; the Mega Balls are gold.

The draw

Drawings are usually held at WSB-TV in Atlanta at 11:00 PM Eastern time on Tuesdays and Fridays. Formerly, the host was WSB's chief meteorologist, Glenn Burns. Now, most drawings are hosted by the new full-time host of the Georgia Lottery drawings, John Crow, with Courtney Cason subbing on occasion. For larger jackpots in excess of $200 million, the drawing is sometimes moved to Times Square in New York City, with New York Lottery announcer Yolanda Vega hosting the draw.

On June 24, 2005, to commemorate California joining Mega Millions, the drawing was held in Hollywood, with Carrie Underwood assisting Glenn Burns for the draw.

Record jackpots

Cash Value Advertised Date Winners Description
$223M $390M March 6, 2007 Two ticket holders (GA, NJ) World's largest jackpot
$180M $363M May 9, 2000] Two ticket holders (IL, MI) Largest The Big Game jackpot
$175M $315M November 15, 2005 Anaheim, CA Largest single winning ticket (7 owners)[18]

Participating states

U.S. states with Mega Millions, as of August 2009

The following states participate in the Mega Millions lottery game:

  • California (joined in 2005; it is the newest member)
  • Georgia (original member; had offered Powerball but dropped out soon after The Big Game began)
  • Illinois (The Big Game drawings initially were planned to be conducted in Chicago)
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New Jersey (1999); only member to join The Big Game under the original name
  • New York (2002; see Ohio)
  • Ohio (these two each joined May 15, 2002 when the game became The Big Game Mega Millions)
  • Texas (2003); also see Megaplier above
  • Virginia
  • Washington (September 2002)

Jurisdictions without a date listed above are the six original The Big Game members. New Jersey is the only state to be added prior to the Mega Millions era. All other lottery states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have committed to Powerball.

As of 2008, the minimum age to purchase a Mega Millions ticket is 18, regardless of participating state. In most of these states (an exception is Virginia), minors can win on tickets received as gifts; the rules according to each state vary for minors receiving prizes.

The game-wide cash option started after federal regulations signed by then-President Bill Clinton no longer required the choice to be made when playing (although some states still require a choice to be made in advance.) An Illinois winner, in late 1998, was allowed to take the winnings in cash, even though the cash option was not officially available in The Big Game until January 1999.

Mega Millions winners have either 180 days (California non-jackpot prizes only) or one year to claim prizes, including the jackpot (although in some states winners lose the right to collect a jackpot in cash if they wait more than 60 days after the drawing).

Unclaimed prizes

If a jackpot prize is not claimed within the required time limit, each of the participating Mega Millions member states get back all the money they contributed to that jackpot. The 12 jurisdictions use unclaimed prizes for different purposes, usually, an unclaimed Mega Millions jackpot prize is distributed to education.[19][20]

In 2007, a $31 million prize went unclaimed in New York.[21] Secondary prizes of $250,000 are unclaimed in many states, including several in Michigan for 2007 drawings.[22]

Possible changes

With Florida joining Powerball on January 4, 2009, the Mega Millions group is considering major changes to its game. One proposal would keep the matrixes at 5/56 + 1/46; however, the ticket cost would become $2. The lower-tier prizes would be increased, and a $2 (break-even) prize would be introduced for a 2+0 match. Perhaps most notable is that second prize (5+0) would become either a $1 million cash prize, or, be annuitized in 20 annual payments, with a fixed (e.g. $588,000) cash option. Also, the advertised jackpot would start at $20 million, compared to the current $12 million.[citation needed]

In March 2009, it was reported that New Jersey, already a Mega Millions state, would seek permission to join Powerball. Shortly after New Jersey announced its desire to sell both games, discussions were revealed about possibly allowing each U.S. lottery to sell tickets for both Mega Millions and Powerball.[23][24] [1] However, in spring 2009, negotiations between Mega Millions and MUSL collapsed.

Miscellany

The attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 resulted in the state of New York passing legislation that included joining a multi-state lottery game. Separately, Ohio also voted as such. Both states opted to join the then-Big Game (on May 15, 2002) and its seven members. The added populations of the two new states, in turn, led to a larger double matrix (actually, the first machine continued to hold 52 balls, while 16 gold balls were added in the second, meaning there were 52 numbers to pick from in each part of a $1 game.) At this time, the game was renamed Mega Millions.

In 2005, Mega Millions was the target of a mailing scam. A scam letter bearing the Mega Millions logo was used in a string of lottery scams designed to trick people into providing personal financial information by cashing bogus checks. The letter, which has been sent to people in several states via standard mail, includes a check for what the scammers say is an unclaimed "Mega Millions" prize. If the check was cashed, it bounced, but not before the bank stamped it with a routing number and personal account information, and sent it back to the fraudulent organization, providing them with the recipients financial information.[25]

A budget impasse in New Jersey in June 2006 led to the temporary shutdown of less-important state agencies on July 1, 2006. Among the casualties were the Atlantic City casinos and the New Jersey Lottery. Not only were the in-state games (such as New Jersey Pick 6) not drawn for about a week, but all its lottery terminals were shut down, meaning Mega Millions could not be played in the Garden State, even though Mega Millions was drawn as usual.

Elecia Battle made national headlines in January 2004 when she claimed that she had lost the winning ticket in the Mega Millions lottery drawing of December 30, 2003.[26] She then filed a lawsuit against the woman who had come forward with the ticket, Rebecca Jemison. Several days later, when confronted with contradictory evidence, she admitted that she had lied.[27] She was charged with filing a false police report the following day. As a result of this false report, Battle was fined $1,000, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, and required to compensate the police and courts for various costs incurred.[28]

Notes

  1. ^ History Of The Game, Mega Millions, Retrieved on 2009-01-12
  2. ^ FAQs, Mega Millions, Retrieved on 2009-01-12
  3. ^ http://www.megamillions.com/winners/jackpothistory.asp
  4. ^ http://www.megamillions.com/winners/winner.asp?bioID=3&startItem=1
  5. ^ Michigan Lottery Through the Years, State of Michigan, Retrieved on 2009-01-12
  6. ^ How To Play, Mega Millions, Retrieved on 2009-01-12
  7. ^ Matches are uniform in all Mega Millions states, except in California, where all prizes, including the jackpot, are pari-mutuel (payouts are based on sales and the number of winners.) All other Mega Millions states set the second through ninth prizes at pre-determined amounts, although in rare cases they can be reduced.
  8. ^ If more than one person wins the jackpot, the prize is equally divided among the winning tickets. Winners have one year to collect the jackpot; for other prizes, the deadline also is one year, except in California, where it is 180 days. Other than in New York and Texas (see above), a jackpot winner has 60 days from the drawing, or in some states, 60 days after claiming, to choose cash or annuity. Relative value of a prize paid in lump sum fluctuates, and is roughly 60% of the annuity amount. The minimum jackpot prize is $12 million, disbursed in 26 annual payments, or a cash payout of about $7 million.
  9. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%285%21*%2856-5%29%21%29%29*46&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  10. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%285%21*%2856-5%29%21%29%29&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  11. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%284%21*%2856-4%29%21%29%29*46&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  12. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%284%21*%2856-4%29%21%29%29&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  13. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%283%21*%2856-3%29%21%29%29*46&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  14. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%283%21*%2856-3%29%21%29%29&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  15. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%282%21*%2856-2%29%21%29%29*46&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  16. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%2856%21%2F%281%21*%2856-1%29%21%29%29*46&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  17. ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=1%2F46&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
  18. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_/ai_n15884220
  19. ^ Frequently Asked Questions
  20. ^ What Happens to Unclaimed Prizes?
  21. ^ Many major U.S. lottery prizes unclaimed - UPI.com
  22. ^ LOTTERY - Top Unclaimed Prizes
  23. ^ "Powerball, Mega Millions explore agreement", Peter Mucha, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2009-03-12. Retrieved on 2009-03-24.
  24. ^ "Colorado Lottery Reviewing Partnership with Mega Millions", Colorado Lottery, 2009-03-17. Retrieved on 2009-03-24.
  25. ^ Mega Millions Logo Officials Warn of Lottery scams - ScamFraudAlert
  26. ^ "Women argue over 'lost' jackpot". BBC News. 2004-01-06. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  27. ^ "Midwest: Ohio: Apology For Lottery Claim". The New York Times. 2004-01-09. Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  28. ^ "Midwest: Ohio: Lottery Tale Costs Her $6,596". The New York Times. 2004-04-07. Retrieved 2008-02-19.

External links

Preceded by World's largest lottery jackpot
May 9, 2000–February 18, 2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World's largest lottery jackpot
March 6, 2007–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mega_Millions&oldid=319755726"