Do you have some spare change and want to gamble on a life-changing amount of money? Then Mega Millions is a great place to start. This multi-state lottery game is played in 45 United States (not including Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.)
And the great state of Idaho is one of them. So if you’re in this state and ready to take a chance, here’s everything you need to know.
How Can I Play?
Mega Millions drawings are on Tuesday and Friday nights. During these live tapings, a total of five numbered balls are randomly selected, and one additional mega ball at the end.
When you get a lottery retailer to play, you’ll tell them five numbers between one and 70. Then, you'll pick a Mega Ball number between one and 25. You can also ask them for a “quick pick,” in which the retailer will select numbers for you.
Each play costs two or three dollars if you want to add a Megaplier. This is a way to multiply your winnings by two, three, four, or five depending on the Megaplier number drawn. This applies to all non-jackpot amounts, so if you win a million dollars and the Megaplier number is five, you’d win five million dollars.
What Are the Odds?
The Mega Millions jackpot raises each time there is no winning ticket. The minimum jackpot is $40 million, and the highest prize value that has ever been won was $1.537 billion in 2018 from a winner in South Carolina.
And the odds of winning are slim to none. You need to match all five winning numbers, as well as the Megaball number, to win. The chances of that are one in 302,575,350. You have a better chance of being hit by lightning 300 times in one year.
But you don’t need the jackpot to win some money. You can win some money if you match a few winning numbers or certain combinations of winning numbers and the MegaBall. Here’s a full breakdown of the odds and the denominations.
How Can I Claim My Prize?
Win big? Congratulations! Let’s get you your money. If your prize was $599 or less, you could redeem your winnings at any Idaho Lottery retail location. But you'll need to file a claim form if you snagged a win even larger than that.
This is because the IRS considers lottery winnings gambling winnings, so the income is taxed like ordinary income.
Once you’ve filled out the claim form, you can mail it to the Idaho Lottery headquarters or go to the physical headquarters. Just be sure to sign your name and write your address on the back of the ticket, in case it gets lost or stolen.
In Conclusion
The lottery is a super fun way to gamble your luck. And in Idaho, you can participate in the Mega Millions like 44 other states across the country. But you can also save your money and still scratch that itch for some luck.
Yotta is an account that pays out interest in prizes, up to $1 million every day. Ready to make saving money fun? Get started right here!
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