History of Mega Millions in Timeline
Mega Millions is a multi-state American lottery game that began on September 6, 1996, initially involving six states. As of June 30, 2023, it's available in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A Tuesday drawing was added in February 1998. The first official Mega Millions drawing occurred in 2002. The game's logo features a gold ball with six stars, representing the original participating states, though some lotteries replace the stars with their logos.
August 31, 1996: Tickets on Sale
On August 31, 1996, tickets for The Big Game began to be sold in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia.
September 6, 1996: First Drawing
On September 6, 1996, the first Mega Millions drawing (originally known as The Big Game) took place with six participating states: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Virginia.
1996: Georgia Lottery Member
In 1996, the Georgia Lottery was a member of MUSL, but was forcibly removed for a few days.
1997: Game Growth
The Big Game experiences continued growth during the year 1997.
February 1998: Tuesday Drawing Added
In February 1998, a Tuesday drawing was added to The Big Game due to its growth.
January 1999: Cash Option
Beginning in January 1999, jackpot winners were given the option to receive their prize in cash.
September 11, 2001: Attack on the World Trade Center
In the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the legislature in Albany passed legislation which included joining a multi-jurisdictional lottery game.
May 15, 2002: Ohio and New York Join
On May 15, 2002, Ohio and New York joined The Big Game consortium, and the game was temporarily renamed The Big Game Mega Millions.
September 2002: Washington Joins
In September 2002, Washington became one of the first lotteries to join Mega Millions.
2002: The Big Game becomes Mega Millions
In 2002, The Big Game became Mega Millions.
2002: First Mega Millions Drawing
The first Mega Millions drawing (under the name The Big Game Mega Millions) occurred in 2002.
February 2003: Logo Update
In February 2003, the yellow ball in the Mega Millions logo, which previously read "The Big Game," was replaced with six stars.
December 30, 2003: False Claim in Mega Millions Drawing
Elecia Battle claimed she lost the winning ticket in the December 30, 2003, Mega Millions drawing.
2003: Texas Megaplier
In 2003, when Texas joined Mega Millions, it began offering the Megaplier option.
January 2004: Battle Charged with Filing a False Police Report
In January 2004, Elecia Battle was charged with filing a false police report after falsely claiming she had lost the winning Mega Millions ticket from the December 30, 2003, drawing.
June 24, 2005: Drawing in Hollywood
On June 24, 2005, to celebrate California joining Mega Millions, that night's drawing was held in Hollywood, with Carrie Underwood assisting.
November 15, 2005: Lucky 7 Win
On November 15, 2005, a group called "The Lucky 7" won $315 million, purchasing the jackpot-winning ticket in Anaheim, California.
2005: Mailing Scam Targeted Mega Millions
In 2005, Mega Millions was the target of a mailing scam that used the lottery's logo in an attempt to trick people into providing their personal financial information.
July 1, 2006: New Jersey Government Shutdown
The New Jersey Government shutdown on July 1, 2006 led to the temporary closing of its non-essential agencies, including the New Jersey Lottery, meaning Mega Millions could not be played in New Jersey.
March 6, 2007: $390 Million Jackpot
On March 6, 2007, the Mega Millions jackpot reached $390 million, then the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history, and was shared by two tickets.
2007: Unclaimed Prizes
In 2007, a $31 million Mega Millions prize went unclaimed in New York, and several $250,000 prizes went unclaimed in Michigan.
2008: Drawing Emcees
Since 2008, the Mega Millions drawings have been emceed by John Crow, Carol Blackmon and Adria Wofford.
October 13, 2009: Cross-Selling Agreement
On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL reached an agreement to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in American lottery jurisdictions.
October 2009: Agreement Reached
In October 2009, an agreement between Mega Millions and MUSL allowed all U.S. lotteries to offer both games.
January 31, 2010: Cross-Selling Expansion
On January 31, 2010, the cross-selling expansion occurred as 23 Powerball members began selling Mega Millions tickets.
February 2, 2010: First Drawing of Expansion
On February 2, 2010, the first Mega Millions drawing of the cross-selling expansion took place.
March 1, 2010: Montana Joins
On March 1, 2010, Montana became the first jurisdiction to join either game after the cross-sell expansion, joining Mega Millions.
March 13, 2010: New Jersey Powerball Win
On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first Mega Millions participant to produce a jackpot-winning ticket for Powerball after joining that game.
March 20, 2010: Nebraska Joins
On March 20, 2010, Nebraska joined Mega Millions after the cross-selling expansion.
March 28, 2010: Oregon Joins
On March 28, 2010, Oregon joined Mega Millions after the cross-selling expansion.
April 16, 2010: Ohio Joins Powerball
On April 16, 2010, Ohio joined Powerball.
April 18, 2010: Arizona Joins
On April 18, 2010, Arizona joined Mega Millions after the cross-selling expansion.
May 9, 2010: Maine Joins
On May 9, 2010, Maine joined Mega Millions after the cross-selling expansion.
May 16, 2010: Colorado and South Dakota Join
On May 16, 2010, Colorado and South Dakota joined Mega Millions after the cross-selling expansion.
May 28, 2010: North Carolina Mega Millions Win
On May 28, 2010, North Carolina became the first Powerball member to produce a jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket after joining Mega Millions.
September 12, 2010: Megaplier Prize Increase
Beginning September 12, 2010, Mega Millions tickets with the Megaplier option automatically won $1 million for matching the five white balls but excluding the Mega Ball.
October 2010: U.S. Virgin Islands Join
In October 2010, the U.S. Virgin Islands joined Mega Millions.
2010: Cross-Selling Expansion
Except for the 2010 cross-selling expansion, Mega Millions simultaneously added more than one member.
2010: Georgia Returns to MUSL
In 2010, Georgia returned to MUSL with the cross-selling expansion.
2010: Original Members Jackpot
In 2010, the 12 original Mega Millions members have each produced at least one Mega Millions jackpot winner.
January 4, 2011: Mega Millions Drawing Similarity to "Lost" Numbers
The January 4, 2011, Mega Millions drawing drew attention for its similarity to "The Numbers," a sequence of numbers featured in the ABC drama series "Lost."
January 2011: Megaplier Expansion
By January 2011, all Mega Millions lotteries except for California offered the Megaplier option.
July 1, 2011: Minnesota Government Shutdown
A similar shutdown to New Jersey's shutdown on July 1, 2006, happened in Minnesota on July 1, 2011.
November 2011: Louisiana Joins
In November 2011, Louisiana joined Mega Millions.
November 16, 2011: Louisiana Joins
On November 16, 2011, Louisiana's lottery joined Mega Millions.
January 2012: Powerball Price Increase
In January 2012, Mega Millions' rival Powerball was altered, among the changes were a price increase of $1 for each play.
January 24, 2012: Previous Jackpot Win
At least $1.5 billion was spent on Mega Millions for drawings following its previous jackpot win, on January 24, 2012.
March 30, 2012: Mega Millions Jackpot Drawn
On March 30, 2012, the Mega Millions jackpot was drawn. It was advertised as $640 million (annuitized) or $462 million (cash value).
May 15, 2013: Florida Joins Mega Millions
On May 15, 2013, Florida joined Mega Millions.
October 18, 2013: Final Drawing of Old Format
On October 18, 2013, the final 5/56 + 1/46 Mega Millions drawing was held.
October 19, 2013: Previous Format Start
On October 19, 2013, Mega Millions' previous format began. The first drawing was three days later.
October 22, 2013: First Drawing of New Format
On October 22, 2013, the first drawing under the revised 5/75 + 1/15 format occurred.
December 17, 2013: Mega Millions Jackpot Drawing
On December 17, 2013, Mega Millions held a drawing for its eighth-largest jackpot of $648 million. Two winning tickets were sold, one each from California and Georgia.
2013: Wyoming Lottery Established
In 2013, Wyoming became the 44th state to establish a lottery.
2013: Jackpot Allocation
The 2013–2017 version allocated about 68 percent towards the jackpot.
2013: Prizes and Odds
The prizes and odds are from the 2013-2017 version.
January 3, 2014: California Ticket Claimed
On January 3, 2014, the California ticket holder claimed their share of the $648 million Mega Millions jackpot won on December 17, 2013.
2014: WGN America Removed Drawings
In late 2014, Mega Millions drawings, along with Powerball drawings, were removed from WGN America when it stopped carrying WGN's newscasts.
July 8, 2016: Tenth-Largest Jackpot Drawing
On July 8, 2016, Mega Millions held a drawing for its tenth-largest jackpot, $540 million. One ticket from Indiana won the jackpot and the winner chose the cash option.
October 2017: Current Format
In October 2017, the current Mega Millions format began. Plays are $2 per game.
October 27, 2017: Jackpot Odds
From October 19, 2013, to October 27, 2017, the odds of winning or sharing a Mega Millions jackpot were one in about 258.9 million.
October 28, 2017: Current Regulations Begin
On October 28, 2017, the current regulations for Mega Millions went into effect, setting the minimum advertised jackpot at $20 million.
October 31, 2017: First Drawing New Price
On October 31, 2017, the first drawing under the new $2 price point for Mega Millions took place.
2017: Jackpot Allocation
The 2013–2017 version allocated about 68 percent towards the jackpot.
2017: Mega Millions Play Price Change
The price of a Mega Millions play stayed the same until 2017.
2017: Prizes and Odds
The prizes and odds are from the 2013-2017 version.
March 30, 2018: Eleventh-Largest Jackpot Drawing
On March 30, 2018, the Mega Millions drawing for the eleventh-largest jackpot worth $533 million occurred. One ticket from New Jersey won the jackpot.
July 24, 2018: Ninth-Largest Jackpot Produced
The July 24, 2018, Mega Millions drawing produced the ninth-largest jackpot (pending a larger one in October). The annuity value was $543 million.
August 2018: Lottery Bill Passed
In August 2018, a bill establishing a lottery in Mississippi was passed.
October 23, 2018: Second Largest Mega Millions Jackpot Won
On October 23, 2018, a single ticket sold in South Carolina won the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot, totaling $1.537 billion.
March 5, 2019: Jackpot Claimed Anonymously
On March 5, 2019, the $1.537 billion jackpot won in October 2018 was claimed. The winner chose to remain anonymous, as permitted under South Carolina law.
November 25, 2019: Mississippi Lottery Begins
On November 25, 2019, Mississippi's lottery began.
2019: Mississippi Lottery
In 2019, Mississippi began selling lottery tickets.
January 2020: Lottery Participation
As of January 2020, 47 lotteries were offering Mega Millions and Powerball.
January 2020: No JtJ Jackpot Winner
As of January 2020, there had yet to be a jackpot winner from a Just the Jackpot wager.
January 30, 2020: Mississippi Joins
On January 30, 2020, Mississippi joined Mega Millions.
April 7, 2020: Starting Jackpot Reset
On April 7, 2020, the Mega Millions starting jackpot amount was temporarily reset from $40 million to $20 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 11, 2022: Incorrect Number Called
On May 11, 2022, Crow incorrectly called the mega ball number as a "6" instead of the actual "9". The New York Lottery paid $5,538 to customers before discovering the error.
July 29, 2022: Fourth-Largest Mega Millions Jackpot Won
On July 29, 2022, the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.34 billion was won. The winning ticket was sold in Illinois.
2022: Host Change
In 2022, Sabrina Cupit was replaced by Adria Wofford as the secondary host for the Mega Millions drawings.
January 13, 2023: Third-Largest Mega Millions Jackpot Won
On January 13, 2023, one winning ticket sold in Maine won the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot, worth $1.35 billion.
June 30, 2023: Game Availability
As of June 30, 2023, Mega Millions is offered in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
August 8, 2023: Largest Jackpot
On August 8, 2023, Mega Millions history's largest winning jackpot of $1.602 billion occurred. A single winning ticket was sold in Florida.
2023: Wofford Promoted to Co-Host
In 2023, Adria Wofford was promoted to co-host alongside John Crow, while Carol Blackmon was demoted to back-up host for the Mega Millions drawings.
March 26, 2024: Sixth-Largest Mega Millions Jackpot Won
On March 26, 2024, the sixth-largest Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.13 billion was won when one winning ticket was sold in New Jersey.
October 7, 2024: Mega Millions Announces New Format
On October 7, 2024, Mega Millions announced a new format that would be implemented in April 2025. The new format includes plays costing $5 with the Megaplier included, and a 10x multiplier which could mean the maximum second-prize win could be $10 million.
December 27, 2024: Fifth-Largest Mega Millions Jackpot Won
On December 27, 2024, the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot, worth $1.22 billion, was won. The winning ticket was sold in Cottonwood, California.
April 2025: New Mega Millions format to take effect
In April 2025, Mega Millions is scheduled to implement a new format where plays will cost $5, which includes the Megaplier, and a 10x multiplier which means the maximum second-prize win could be $10 million.
April 2025: Game Cost Increase
Starting in April 2025, the cost of each Mega Millions game will increase to $5.
