Mega Millions Cut Off Time: How Late Do They Stop Selling Tickets Near Me?

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The Mega Millions jackpot has grown significantly and is now at one billion dollars. The higher the jackpot grows, the more people want to participate. So today, you’ll likely be seeing even more people lining up to buy tickets and try to get a chance at the big jackpot. But many people will be waiting until the last minute to get tickets, especially if they have to wait until they get off work or after they eat dinner. If you’re one of these people, then you likely will want to know just how late you can push buying your tickets. What is the cutoff time near you? The Mega Millions drawing takes place at 11 p.m. Eastern (10 p.m. Central) every Tuesday and Friday night.  But most places stop selling tickets a little earlier than that.

Many states stop selling Mega Millions ticket about 15 minutes before the drawing, but other states stop sales an hour before. We’ve worked to put together a list of state-by-state cutoff times. However, individual stores may choose their own hours, and sometimes rules can change. So if you’re really pushing it close, you might want to call your nearest gas station or convenience store first, just to make sure you’re not wasting a trip. Scroll down to find the typical cut-off time in your 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.

California: Drawings close at 7:45 p.m. Pacific.

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.

Connecticut: On draw night, ticket sales close at 10:45 p.m. and reopen at 11:15 p.m.

Delaware: Tickets on sale up to 9:45 p.m. on drawing days.

Florida: Sales end at 10 p.m. on drawing days, to allow adequate time for all 46 member lotteries to transmit their data.

Georgia: Closing time not clear. Contact your retailer for details.

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.

Illinois: The Mega Millions cut off time isn’t completely clear. But 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.

Indiana: Sales on drawing dates cut off at 10:44 p.m. Eastern.

Iowa: Cut off time is 8:59 p.m. on draw days.

Kansas: Players have until 8:59 p.m. on draw days to get tickets.

Kentucky: The exact cut-off time isn’t clear. Call you retailer for details.

Louisiana: Purchase your ticket by 9 p.m.

Maine: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m. Eastern on the day of the drawing.

Maryland: Cut-off time is 15 minutes prior to the drawing.

Massachusetts: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m.

Michigan: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m the day of the drawing in retail stores and online.

Minnesota: Cut-off time is 9 p.m. on the day of the drawing.

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.

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.

Nevada: Mega Millions is not played in this state.

New Hampshire: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m.

New Jersey: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m. Eastern.

New Mexico: Cut-off is 8:45 p.m. Mountain Time on draw days, and sales resume at 8:55 p.m.

New York: Ticket sales stop at 10:45 p.m. on draw nights, and 3:30 a.m. other days.

North Carolina: Draw times end at 10:45 p.m on the day of the drawing.

North Dakota: You must purchase your ticket before 8:58 p.m. Central on the day of the drawing.

Ohio: Cut-off time is 10:45 p.m. on draw days.

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.

Pennsylvania: Cut-off time is 9:59 p.m. local time the day of a drawing.

Rhode Island: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m. on drawing nights.

South Carolina: Ticket sales stop at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

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.)

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.

Utah: Mega Millions is not played here.

Vermont: Cut-off time is 9:50 p.m.

Virginia: Tickets stop selling at 10:45 p.m. on draw nights.

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.

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.

Wyoming: Draw breaks begin at 8 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

Your chance of winning the Mega Millions is slim. The odds of winning Mega Millions are 1 in 302.6 million, which are actually less than the odds of winning the Powerball, which is 1 in 292.2 million. But it only costs $2 to play, so getting one ticket “just in case” isn’t that much of an investment. Here’s what you can win if you play:

  • In order to win the jackpot, you’ll need to match all five white balls and the yellow Mega ball.
  • If you match all five white numbers only, you’ll win $1 million (and more if you’re using a Mega plier option.)
  • If you match 4 white and the yellow, you’ll win $10,000.
  • If you match 4 white only, you’ll win $500.
  • If you match 3 white only or if you match 2 white and 1 yellow, you’ll win $10.
  • If you match a yellow ball and a white ball during tonight’s drawing, then you will walk away with $4. That’s enough to buy yourself two more tickets for $2 each in the next jackpot. But if you only match two white balls and don’t match the yellow ball, you won’t win anything.
  • If you match one yellow ball (which is the last number drawn), then you’ll win $2. But if you only match one white number, then you also won’t win anything tonight.
  • Matching just one or two white balls won’t win you anything.

You can buy a ticket at any retailer that sells lottery tickets, typically a gas station/convenience store or a grocery store. It costs $2 to play.

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