Getty Mega Millions
Tonight’s Mega Millions is estimated to be worth $1.6 billion dollars. If last week’s $1 billion wasn’t enough to get you to buy a ticket, then tonight’s very well could be. But there are a lot of little details to keep in mind when getting a ticket. Here’s a guide for how to buy a ticket tonight, including a general guide and then some specific instructions for each state.
General Rules & Tips for Buying Mega Millions Tickets
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each (with an additional $1 if you choose the Megaplier option.) To win the jackpot, you need to match five white ball numbers (1 to 70) and one yellow Mega Ball (1 to 25). You can pick these individually or choose the Easy Pick/Quick Pick option to have the numbers automatically chosen for you. Bring cash with you just in case you need it, because not every state allows players to pay with credit cards.
Most convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores sell Mega Millions tickets. If you’re going for the Quick Pick option, then just walk up to the cashier with your money and tell them how many tickets you want.
If you’re picking your own numbers, you’ll need to fill out a card first, where you fill in a bubble for the five white numbers you want, and then fill in one bubble for the Mega Ball number you want. You can use a pencil, black, or blue ink. You’ll need to sign the card and check if you want the cash or annuity option. Make sure when you sign and check what you want, that you don’t let your marks stray into the bubbled circles, or the machine will kick back an error message and you’ll need to fill out another card. The cards will typically be on a stand by themselves, somewhere near the cash register. After you’ve filled out the card, take it to the cash register with your money. You can order Quick Pick tickets along with the card, if you want to get more than one Mega Millions ticket.
Some states also offer a “Just the Jackpot” way to play. In these states, you can pay $3 to get two tickets, but your tickets are only for the jackpot. That means you have to match all the numbers to win and there are no lower tier winning options if you match fewer than every ball.
Most states also offer a Megaplier option that costs an additional $1 per ticket. This can increase any non-jackpot prizes by up to five times. Simply choose the Megaplier option when buying your ticket. Then on the drawing night, a Megaplier will be drawn first. The Megaplier ball will indicate if the non-jackpot prizes are being increased 2X, 3X, 4X, or 5X.
The cutoff time can vary from 15 minutes before the draw to an hour before the draw. If you’re running close to the deadline, you might want to call ahead to find out if your location is selling tickets. You can visit Mega Millions’ map here to find out exactly where tickets are sold in your state, or scroll through the list below.
State-Specific Details for Buying Mega Millions Tickets
Here are some details on buying tickets specific for each state.
Alabama: Mega Millions is not played here.
Alaska: Mega Millions is not sold here.
Arizona: Cut-off time is 6:59 p.m. local time for all draw games (7:59 p.m. after daylight savings time.) Sales for the next drawing will resume at 7:04 and 8:04 p.m. respectively. Find a retailer here.
Arkansas: Draw sales end at 9:45 p.m. Central Tuesday and Friday. See where to play or find a ticket vending machine here.
California: Drawings close at 7:45 p.m. Pacific. In California and Texas, you can use an online service like LottoGopher to pay someone else to get your ticket. California has more than 23,000 locations. Find the one near you here or look for the luckiest retailers near you.
Colorado: No ticket sales Tuesday and Friday between 7:30 and 7:33 p.m., Monday and Wednesday and Thursday between midnight and 4:30 a.m., and Sunday between midnight and 8 a.m. Check how lucky your local retailer has been here.
Connecticut: On draw night, ticket sales close at 10:45 p.m. and reopen at 11:15 p.m. Find a retailer here. Search by store name, town, county, or ZIP, and look for KENO monitors or non-monitor retailers.
Delaware: Tickets on sale up to 9:45 p.m. on drawing days. Go here to see where to buy a ticket nearby and see a map.
Florida: Sales end at 10 p.m. on drawing days, to allow adequate time for all 46 member lotteries to transmit their data. Enter your ZIP code here to find where tickets are sold near you.
Georgia: If you’re in Georgia, you’re in luck. You can just buy tickets online through Georgia’s lottery website here. Just indicate how many plays and drawings you want to enter, pick your numbers or choose Quik Pik, and decide if you want to use the Megaplier option. Then agree to the terms of service and hit “buy now.”
Hawaii: Mega Millions is not sold here.
Idaho: Drawing time is 9 p.m. MT on Tuesdays and Fridays. Exact closing time unclear. Call retailer for details. Find a retailer here.
Illinois: If Illinois follows the same pattern it does for Powerball, then the cutoff time would be one hour before the drawing in retail stores and three hours online. Call your retailer for details. And yes, you read that right. You get to buy your tickets online through the state’s lottery site here. Choose how many tickets you want to buy, pick your numbers or use the Quick Pick option, decide if you want a Megaplier, and then decide how many drawings you want to enter. You may even be able to use a promotional code. You can also buy a subscription and keep playing the same numbers over and over.
Indiana: Sales on drawing dates cut off at 10:44 p.m. Eastern. See a map and list of retailers selling tickets here.
Iowa: Cut off time is 8:59 p.m. on draw days. Most convenience stores and gas stations will let you play, but call first to confirm. Find a retailer here.
Kansas: Players have until 8:59 p.m. on draw days to get tickets. Find a retailer here.
Kentucky: The exact cut-off time isn’t clear. Call your retailer for details. Skip the lines and buy online here.
Louisiana: Purchase your ticket by 9 p.m. Here’s where to play.
Maine: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m. Eastern on the day of the drawing. Enter your ZIP or town/city to find a location near you here.
Maryland: Cut-off time is 15 minutes prior to the drawing. Find a retailer using the map or searching by ZIP here.
Massachusetts: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m. Go here to see where to play near you, both agents and KENO locations.
Michigan: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m the day of the drawing in retail stores and online.
Michigan’s official lottery site lets you buy tickets online here on their home page. Just click “Buy Now” at the top of the page. You can use a Quick Pick option, or buy tickets even faster by purchasing $6, $10, or $20 worth using Quick Pick. Or you can pick your own numbers or play every combination of your favorite numbers.
Minnesota: Cut-off time is 9 p.m. on the day of the drawing. Find a retailer here.
Mississippi: Mega Millions is not played here.
Missouri: No ticket sales are made Tuesdays and Fridays between 8:59 p.m. and 10 p.m, and daily between 2 and 5 a.m. Search for retailers here.
Montana: Drawings close at 8 p.m. local time, an hour before the drawing.
Nebraska: The exact cut-off time is unclear. Call your retailer for details. Find a retailer by ZIP or city here.
Nevada: Mega Millions is not played in this state.
New Hampshire: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m.
Buy your tickets online on New Hampshire’s official lottery site here. Just scroll to the Mega Millions section and click “Buy Now.” A minimum $5 purchase is required. Since tickets cost $2 each, this could be two tickets and one Megaplier. Or you could just pick faster by using their “Easy Pick” option and buying $6, $10, or $20 worth of tickets at once.
New Jersey: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m. Eastern. Find a retailer and see a map here. Search by ZIP or city within 5 miles.
New Mexico: Cut-off is 8:45 p.m. Mountain Time on draw days, and sales resume at 8:55 p.m. Try to Play at the Pump for the easiest pick.
New York: Ticket sales stop at 10:45 p.m. on draw nights, and 3:30 a.m. other days. See a map or find a retailer by City or ZIP here.
You can buy a subscription on New York’s Lottery site here. You’ll need to create a subscription account, choose which game, and then choose the number of games or drawings. Then choose your numbers or Quick Pick, and pay for your transaction. The minimum subscription length is two weeks.
North Carolina: Draw times end at 10:45 p.m on the day of the drawing. North Carolina lets you play online via their official website here. You can choose one draw and pick your own numbers or use Quick Pick. Find locations near you by ZIP code or county here.
North Dakota: You must purchase your ticket before 8:58 p.m. Central on the day of the drawing. Find a retailer here.
If you want to buy online in North Dakota, you can get a Pick & Click subscription for playing online.With Pick & Click, you’ll automatically be entered in every drawing, and you can track and manage your plays from your computer or mobile device. You’ll need to create a membership with the North Dakota Players Club (by clicking “Buy Now”) in order to participate. It works for Mega Millions, Powerball, 2by2, Lucky for Life, and Lotto America. Even though you’re technically buying a subscription, you can choose to only play a single draw or you can play for up to a full year. You can pick your own numbers or use Quick Pick. To get a ticket, you must be physically within North Dakota. You can also use the iOS app or Android app.
Ohio: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m. on draw days. Find a retailer near you here. There are more than 9,000 in Ohio, including 1,400 KENO monitor locations.
Oklahoma: Purchase tickets until 8:59 p.m. Central on the evening of the drawing.
Oregon: Cut-off time is Tuesdays and Fridays between 7-8:15 p.m. PST. To find a retailer, click here and then click on “find a retailer.”
Pennsylvania: Cut-off time is 9:59 p.m. local time the day of a drawing. See a map and find locations within one mile by your address, city, or ZIP here.
Rhode Island: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m. on drawing nights. Find a retailer on the homepage by using the green “Find a Retailer” box and putting in your ZIP code or city.
South Carolina: Ticket sales stop at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. Find a retailer here.
South Dakota: Buy tickets until 9 p.m. Central/8 p.m. MT on the nights of the drawings.
Tennessee: Draw breaks begin at 9:45 p.m. Central (10:45 p.m. Eastern.) See a full list of where to play here or enter your ZIP at the top.
Texas: Ticket sales not available during a draw break from 9:45-10:15 p.m. Central, and drawings are broadcast at 10:12 p.m. Find a retailer by ZIP here.
In California and Texas, you can use an online service like LottoGopher to pay someone else to get your ticket.
U.S. Virgin Islands: See a list of retailers here. They include K-Mart stores, MoneyGram locations, the Richmond Post Office, Scotia Bank, Pueblo Supermarkets, and more.
Utah: Mega Millions is not played here.
Vermont: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m. See a map of locations, a list, or find the closest agent or WinStation near you by City or ZIP here.
Virginia: Tickets stop selling at 10:45 p.m. on draw nights. Subscribe and play online here. This does require an online subscription and an active MyGameRoom account. You must be a Virginia resident and within the Virginia borders, and you’ll need a minimum $20 deposit to start an online subscription. The minimum online subscription length is two weeks or four drawings.
Washington: Ticket sales cut-off Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:45 p.m. and resume at 8:01 p.m.
Washington D.C.: Buy tickets until 10:45 p.m. Eastern on draw nights. Just visit the homepage here and click on “Where to Play” on the menu at the top of the page.
West Virginia: Exact cut-off time is unclear. Find your retailer here and call for details.
Wisconsin: Cut-off time is 9 p.m. on draw days. Find a list of retailers by city or ZIP here.
Wyoming: Draw breaks begin at 8 p.m. on the night of the drawing. Find a retailer here.