Q&A for How to Win the Mega Millions

No. As long as you've picked the numbers that are drawn, the order is not important.

Yes, taxes on large lottery winnings are nearly 40%.

No, they are not.

Keep in mind there are millions of tickets sold. Also, although, theoretically, the odds of winning by buying 100 random numbers can be calculated, your odds of increasing your chances are practically nil.

Lotteries are completely random, so there is no combination of numbers that would be better than any other. A lot of people choose birthdays or ages of family, or some other numbers that have meaning to them.

No, but your state may release your name to the public by law without your consent depending on the state, so be aware that you may not be able to keep your identity private even if you don't go on TV.

Online or in your local newspaper the day after the drawing. You can probably go into a store that sells tickets to request the winning numbers as well.

It is illegal to sell lottery tickets online.

You can use any random string of numbers or you can let the machine pick the number for you. Many people use the ages of the members of their families for their numbers.

You don't know but neither does anybody else.

They do not improve. By playing the same numbers each week, you have the same odds as the week before.

No, you don’t have to, but it will increase your winnings if you do hit the other numbers without hitting the jackpot.

No one knows the numbers before the drawing. You will know when the numbers are drawn on Tuesday.

Yes, you can participate in the lottery if you are a visitor, but you have to be 18 or older.

Yes if you match four white balls you win a base prize of $500. If you have elected to add the Megaplier to your ticket you could win $1,000-$2,500 depending on which Megaplier number was drawn.

No. It seems as though states like New York and California win a lot but that has nothing to do with the odds being fixed or the lottery being rigged. It simply is a matter of states with huge populations playing the lottery and with more people in a certain state there would be more winners there. There are many states who have never had a Mega Millions jackpot winner. Colorado and New Mexico to name just a couple.

Yes the mega ball must match exactly in order to win the jackpot. You can match the five white balls in any order.

The Megaplier can increase all your non-jackpot winnings by 2X-5X depending on which number was drawn. For example if you match the mega ball only that is a $2 prize but could be $4, $6, $8 or $10. If you match all five white balls but not the mega ball that is normally a $1 million prize but could be between $2-$5 million depending if you choose to add the Megaplier. Visit the official megamillions.com website under the How To Play tab for all prize information.

Unless you have purchased advance play for multiple drawings then you need a new ticket for every drawing.

No. The only way to have a chance at winning a legitimate lottery is to buy a ticket. If you are being asked to pay a fee for a prize, it is a scam.

Income over $500,000 in the United States is taxed at 37%. Assuming you take the lump sum option instead of the annuity when you turn in your ticket, you will have 24% withheld, and then it is your responsibility to pay the additional 13% at tax time. You may also owe state tax. After all taxes are paid, you will take home around $630,000.

You can pay $2 for a basic Mega Millions ticket, or for an additional dollar you can add the Megaplier, which will multiply any non-jackpot winnings by 2 to 5 times.

It’s best to hire the most knowledgeable financial team you can and that you feel the most comfortable with. Take the time to interview several candidates for each position and pay them on a flat fee instead of agreeing to pay a commission, which can get very expensive.

The Megaplier is a number (from 2 to 5) by which certain prize amounts are multiplied, drawn from a random pool of 15 balls on Tuesday and Friday nights before the Mega Millions drawings. You can find out what the Megaplier number is in addition to the winning numbers around 11:15 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday and Friday nights.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million regardless of how you pick your numbers. About 70% of jackpot winners use quick pick.

No. You can only buy tickets for the next scheduled drawing. Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 pm EST.

In most cases, no. The odds are poor that you'll win enough to cover the amount you spend on tickets. So use money you can afford to lose, and play for fun.

This is a very bad idea! Your odds of winning big, or even of breaking even (winning back the amount you spent on lottery tickets), is small with Mega Millions and similar games. Play for fun, and with money you can afford to lose.

It’s because in Mega Millions there are 302,575,350 different possible number combinations, so the chance of a pattern occurring in would only occur about 1 in 130,000 years.

No you can only play Mega Millions in 45 American states plus the US Virgin Islands.