To win a Mega Millions jackpot, players must match at least five white balls from a field of seventy-five numbers to a gold MegaBall drawn from the second field of twenty-five. If the winner wins the jackpot, the money will be distributed among those who won the game in each of the state drawings. The prize amount is then paid out over the course of 30 graduated annual payments. In addition, if no one wins, the jackpot will roll over into the next drawing.

If you win the MEGA MILLIONS drawing, you must claim your prize in the state where you bought the ticket. You have 180 days to claim your prize. The prize money will be withheld for federal income taxes. You are responsible for any additional state and local taxes. Prizes up to $599 may be claimed at authorized Florida Lottery retailers. Prizes worth between $600 and one million dollars can be claimed at any Lottery district office in Florida. Prizes higher than $1 million must be claimed at the Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.

The Mega Millions drawings are held twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays at eleven p.m. Eastern Time. Players may purchase tickets until ten p.m. Eastern Time, but tickets purchased after that time will be for the next drawing. Players can purchase the Megaplier feature on their MEGA MILLIONS playslip. To activate Megaplier, players must choose a number between one and five on their play slip. If they match all five white balls, they will receive the Mega Millions jackpot.

During the Mega Millions drawings, security procedures are strict and rigorous. WSB-TV studio in Atlanta, Georgia, is the site of the drawing. The lottery employs two draw officials, one of whom is a member of an independent auditing firm. During the drawing, two of the three participants must meet stringent eligibility requirements to participate. After the draw, the winner must verify their identity and claim their prize. The winner must also provide an appropriate address and provide the drawing results.

The Mega Millions drawing is conducted every Tuesday and Friday night. The winning numbers are five out of seventy, plus a Mega Ball number that falls between one and twenty-five. The Mega Millions drawing offers nine ways to win. Players must match the winning numbers and the Mega Ball to win the jackpot. If they do, they win a cash prize in addition to the Mega Millions jackpot. These non-jackpot winning combinations can win additional cash prizes.

The drawings are held at WSB-TV’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Initially, Glenn Burns hosted the drawings, but since 2008, John Crow has served as the host. Crow signs off each drawing with a signature “Play on, America!” If either of these hosts are unavailable, Sabrina Cupit and Adrian Whitford are used as backup hosts. In addition to the drawing itself, the drawings are audited by Preston CPA.