Mega Millions® Jackpot Jumps to $586 million

12/16/2013

ALBUQUERQUE – The rush to buy tickets for Tuesday’s Mega Millions® drawing has pushed the game’s jackpot to $586 million. Originally, the jackpot was $550 million.

“Player enthusiasm is driving this jackpot to new heights,” said David Barden, the New Mexico Lottery’s interim CEO. “Every single player is having a ball thinking about all the things they could do as a lottery multi-millionaire.”

New Mexico Lottery players have until 8:45 p.m. MT to buy tickets for Tuesday’s 9 p.m. drawing.

The jackpot’s cash option is $316.5 million before taxes.

How to Play Mega Millions

To play Mega Millions, players choose five numbers from 1 to 75 and one Megaball number from 1 to 15. Players can also ask for a “quick-pick,” a set of numbers chosen by the lottery’s gaming system. Each wager costs $1.

In addition to the jackpot, there are eight prize levels ranging between $1 and $1 million. The game’s Megaplier® option multiples non-jackpot prizes up to $5 million. Megaplier costs $1 per wager.

The odds of winning a jackpot are approximately 1 in 259 million. The odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are approximately 1 in 15.

The game’s record jackpot of $656 million was shared by players from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland in March 2012.

Legislative Lottery Scholarships

All profits from the sale of New Mexico Lottery games fund an in-state college tuition assistance program. Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $586 million for education and more than 90,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships. More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.

Follow the New Mexico Lottery on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nmlottery) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/NewMexicoLottery).