How to Play Mega Millions in India
If you have been looking for a guide to figure out how to play Mega Millions in India, you have landed on the right page. Mega Millions is the ultimate lottery that has paid out the world’s second-largest jackpot amount of $1.537 billion to a single-player from South Carolina, behind Powerball’s $1.586 billion jackpot that became the world’s largest. To find out more about how to play Mega Millions and best sites to play it in India, read further.
Mega Millions lottery has been nothing less than a jackpot machine enjoyed by the people of the United States; hence it is the most popular lottery out there. Learning to play Mega Millions is easy and hundreds of players have won a significant amount from it. It is no surprise that players from worldwide were overjoyed when this lottery decided to invite worldwide players to try out their luck, including players from India.
Initially, when online games were not that popular, locally you could find many lotteries being played in different states. How is this better than the state lottery? Well, the payout is a thousand times better than what you win on an Indian lottery as it is an American state lottery.
What is Mega Millions? The History:
As we have mentioned earlier, the Mega Millions lottery started as a state lottery in the year 1996. This was initially named as The Big Game and renamed temporarily on May 15th, 2002 to The Big Game Mega Millions. Later on, the name changed to Mega Millions on June 22, 2005. The original logo consisting of the golden ball was retained and six stars were added to the golden-coloured ball to represent the game’s initial membership.
When it started, Mega Millions was initially offered only in six states Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia. Many Americans wished to take part in this, but they did not have nearby shops to buy tickets from, that is when Mega Millions moved online to cater to all the public. Many online websites were opened that offered American players with the option to buy their lotto tickets securely.
As the online ventures of Mega Millions gained success, it decided to invite worldwide players including Indian players for the first time making it one of the most popular lotteries in India besides Powerball.
| Match | Prize |
|---|---|
| 5 Match + Bonus ball | Jackpot |
| 5 Match | $1,000,000 |
| 4 Match + Bonus ball | $10,000 |
| 4 Match | $500 |
| 3 Match + Bonus ball | $200 |
| 3 Match | $10 |
| 2 Match + Bonus ball | $10 |
| 1 Match + Bonus ball | $4 |
| 0 Match + Bonus ball | $2 |
How is Mega Millions Played?
The rules of this lotto game are simple and easy to understand by everyone. It is played by choosing 5 main numbers and 1 Gold (Mega) Ball number. You will need to choose the main numbers from 1 to 70 and the Mega Ball number can be chosen from 1 to 25.
Mega Millions added the Megaplier option on January 15, 2011. Megaplier is a number you choose between 2 and 5 that can multiply non-jackpot prizes up to five times. This number is drawn separately and can be added to your selection by paying a small extra fee.
| Match | 2 (1 in 3) | 3 (1 in 2.5) | 4 (1 in 5) | 5 (1 in 15) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Match | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| 4 Match + Bonus ball | $20,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 |
| 4 Match | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 |
| 3 Match + Bonus ball | $400 | $600 | $800 | $1,000 |
| 3 Match | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 |
| 2 Match + Bonus ball | $20 | $30 | $40 | $50 |
| 1 Match + Bonus ball | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 |
| 0 Match + Bonus ball | $4 | $6 | $8 | $10 |
How High is the Jackpot Amount?
As we have mentioned earlier, a player from South Carolina has won an amount of $1.537 billion from Mega Millions on October 23, 2018, which is the second-largest lottery jackpot in the world. The only lottery that had bigger jackpot money than this is when three tickets won a jackpot of $1.586 billion in Powerball on January 13, 2016.
But to be fair, the Powerball jackpot was shared between three people, hence we can safely conclude that the biggest Jackpot ever won by a single player has come from Mega Millions.
The player who won the recorded Mega Millions jackpot claimed the money on March 5, 2019, and chose to be anonymous under South Carolina law
Now, let us talk about the smallest Mega Millions Jackpot amount. The smallest jackpot you can win through this lottery is $40 million. Well, we cannot really call this amount small.
This is an American lottery but as players from any part of the world can take part, you have a fair chance to win money by playing this lottery. If you do not believe us when we say that you have a fair chance to win then you should definitely look into the Indian Mega Millions Jackpot winners Hira Singh and Sandeep Singh. If they can win, so can you.
Recommended site for Mega Millions
Is it Safe to Play Mega Millions from India?
To be able to play Mega Millions from India, you will have to find Mega Millions lottery websites that accept Indian players, which are easy to find but difficult to trust. We have reviewed over 100 different lottery websites and concluded that while many sites are just scams, multiple other sites are safe and can be trusted. But trust is not the only factor. The website needs to provide you with quality services, which means the online lotto agents are structured differently. The differentiation should be such that a handful of agents should focus on giving the players rewards for playing and others should provide them with quality customer service.
The online lottery site Lotto247 is committed to providing you with a wide range of international lotteries that can be played from the comfort of your own home with a user-focussed play, efficient customer service and updating you with all the results and news you need.
Another reliable online lottery site you can play Mega Millions on is TheLotter that lets you choose from the biggest lotteries in the world, as well as local and daily draws. As soon as you win, you are notified immediately, and you get the winning amount, commission-free. The best part is that your personal details and account transactions are protected by GeoTrust 128-bit SSL security layer, hence your money is safe.
Lottoland is another reliable site that you can opt to play Mega Millions from India. This site provides you with the most popular international lotteries all across the globe and makes them accessible to you on a legitimate platform. Additional to that it also has some of the best casino games that you can play in rupees.
What is the Payout Process?
All the prizes won on Mega Millions gets paid out instantly except for the jackpot. The money gets credited into your lottery account immediately.
If you win the jackpot, then Mega Millions lets you choose from two different payout options. You can either get a lump sum amount known as the cash option or can get paid annually over 30 years.
You need to understand the jackpot size is decided based on annual payments only hence if you choose the cash option then you will be paid a significantly smaller amount.
As per current regulation (implemented on October 28, 2017, with the first drawing October 31) for Mega Millions, the minimum jackpot amount of $40 million (as advertised) will be paid in 30 graduated yearly instalments, the value increasing by 5% per year (unless you choose the cash option).
We cannot tell you which is better as it depends on your personal preference, something you will have to deal with later on when you become an Indian Mega Millions jackpot winner.
How to Play Mega Millions in India without Breaking Laws?
You can play Mega Millions from India by visiting any of the above-mentioned reliable lottery concierge services and choosing your numbers. If you are worried it is legal or not, then let us assure you that you are not breaking any Indian Lottery laws as the draw is being held overseas. Indian citizens are legally allowed to play from anywhere in the country. So, what are you waiting for? Safely purchase your USA lottery ticket from the comfort of your home using your computer or phone and take part in the race of winning the jackpot of the record-breaking international lottery.