The most recent jackpot for the Mega Millions lottery in the U.S. was almost $1.5 billion Canadian and was won in the Tuesday, March 26 draw. If you want to know how to play Mega Millions in Canada the next time the jackpot is that big, here’s everything you need to know about the lottery.
Mega Millions reached $1.602 billion US on August 8, 2023 – the largest jackpot in its history. This was the third overall largest jackpot of any lottery in the U.S., being trumped by the $2.04 billion US Powerball jackpot on November 8, 2022 and the $1.765 billion US Powerball jackpot on October 11, 2023.
READ MORE: How to play Powerball in Canada
These jackpots are a huge difference from the maximum Lotto Max jackpot of $70 million (soon to be $80 million) and the maximum Lotto 6/49 jackpot of $68 million. This makes playing Mega Millions very intriguing for Canadians.
How the Mega Millions lottery works
Tickets for Mega Millions cost $2 US to play. You need to select six numbers in total; five different numbers between 1 and 69, and one number between 1 and 25. You can choose the numbers yourself or select the Easy Pick/Quick Pick option. To win the jackpot you need to match all six numbers.
For an extra $1 US you can add a “Megaplier” option to your ticket, which multiples non-jackpot prizes by up to five times as determined by another numbered ball.
Some states also offer an option called “Just the Jackpot” for $3 US where you’ll receive two plays that are only good for the main jackpot and none of the smaller prizes.
There are Mega Millions draws every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. EST.
If you win the jackpot and opt for the lump sum payment, you’re looking at taking home just under half the total jackpot. With a Mega Millions jackpot of $1.1 billion US the cash option is $525.8 million US before taxes (around $715 million CDN).
Depending on the state, winners have between 90 days to a year to claim their prize. The prize must be claimed in the state the ticket was purchased.
What states you can play Mega Millions in
Mega Millions is offered in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah are the five states that don’t offer the Mega Millions lottery.
Odds of winning Mega Millions
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302,575,350 while the odds of winning any Mega Millions prize is 1 in 24.
For comparison, the odds of winning the Lotto Max jackpot are 1 in 33,294,800 and the odds of winning the Lotto 6/49 jackpot are 1 in 13,983,816.
Are Canadians allowed to play Mega Millions?
Just like the Powerball lottery, Canadians are legally allowed to play Mega Millions as are all non-American visitors to the United States.
How can Canadians buy Mega Millions tickets?
The best way for a Canadian to buy a ticket for the Mega Millions lottery is to cross the border and purchase one. If you have family or friends in the U.S. that you trust, you can ask them to purchase one for you as well. You can find out where to play Mega Millions at megamillions.com.
There are online third-party services that allow Canadians to purchase Mega Millions and Powerball tickets. These are not affiliated with the lotteries and usually have fees involved. We do not recommend using them.
Rules for Canadians playing Mega Millions
There is a law in the United States that you are not allowed to enter the country with lottery tickets. This means you could have an issue going back to claim your prize if you cross the border to buy a Mega Millions ticket and return to Canada with it.
Lottery officials in Washington have stated in the past that they would help any big winners having a border issue, but there is still a risk involved.
If you’re concerned over this law we recommend staying in the U.S. with your ticket until the draw is over or renting a secure mailbox to leave it in.
Do Canadians pay tax on US lottery prizes?
Canadians will have to pay 30% in federal taxes to the United States on their winnings as well as state taxes depending which state they purchased their ticket in (taxes in New York state are the highest at 10.8%).
With a jackpot of $1.1 billion US and taking the lump sum payment of roughly $525 million US, 30% works out to just over $157 million US, leaving the winner with roughly $368 million US – just over $500 million CDN before state taxes.
The Canadian government does not tax lottery winnings, including winnings from outside of Canada.
For more lotto news and to get the latest Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max winning numbers, visit our Lottery section.
