The Mega Millions Jackpot Is Up to $1.6 Billion. Here Is the Deadline to Buy Tickets — in Every State
By Brad Tuttle
Updated: October 23, 2018 5:36 PM ET | Originally published: October 22, 2018
https://money.com/mega-millions-highest-jackpot-deadline-buy-tickets-1-6-billion/
A woman shows her Mega Millions tickets before the draw of the $1 billion jackpot on Friday, October 19, 2018.
MARK RALSTON—AFP/Getty Images
Feeling lucky? The Mega Millions jackpot now stands at a staggering $1.6 billion, making it the biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
Mega Millions jackpots keep growing bigger and bigger when no one wins the grand prize. And nobody had the Mega Millions winning numbers last week, when the jackpots hit $868 million on Tuesday and $1 billion on Friday — both of which would have set records as the highest Mega Millions jackpots ever.
The Mega Millions grand prize has rolled over again, and the payout for Tuesday night's drawing is now $1.6 billion, with a lump sum payout of $904 million.
For U.S. lottery games, we are in unchartered territory: The $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot is the highest lottery grand prize ever in the U.S., nudging ahead of the record-high $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot drawn in early 2016.
As you'd imagine, Mega Millions ticket sales have been insane. Lottery fever is so heated right now that the number of possible number combinations is running out, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. And if no one has all of the winning Mega Millions numbers when the drawing happens on Tuesday night, the jackpot will likely soar to over $2 billion and interest will spike even higher.
When Are the Mega Millions Winning Numbers Drawn?
Mega Millions drawings are always on Tuesdays and Fridays, at 11 p.m. ET. The next Mega Millions drawing — when the all-time high $1.6 billion jackpot is on the line — is Tuesday, October 23.
You can find out the winning Mega Millions numbers at lottery.net and megamillions.com. Live broadcasts of the Mega Millions results are also shown on many nightly TV news programs.
If you're wondering how to play Mega Millions, the simplest way is to buy a ticket with machine-picked numbers from a participating retailer. Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each and are sold in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can also buy Mega Millions tickets online in certain states.
A winning Mega Millions ticket can pay out a prize ranging from $2 up to the jackpot. The odds of having all six numbers correct and winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302 million.
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What Is the Deadline to Buy Mega Millions Tickets?
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets varies from state to state. That's why we rounded up the Mega Millions cutoff times around the country below. Be aware that some retailers may have long lines of customers waiting to buy Mega Millions tickets. So it's best not to wait until the last minute if you want a chance at the $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday.
Each Mega Millions ticket will have the corresponding drawing date printed on it. If you are too late and buy a Mega Millions ticket after your state's cutoff time for the drawing on Tuesday, your ticket will be valid for the next drawing — Friday, October 26.
Arizona Lottery
The cutoff for buying is Mega Millions tickets in Arizona is 6:59 p.m. MT (8:59 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
Arkansas Lottery
Mega Millions sales in Arkansas are cut off at 9:45 p.m. CT (10:45 p.m. ET) on days when the winning numbers are announced.
CA Lottery
The deadline for buying Mega Millions tickets in California is 7:45 p.m. PT (10:45 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Colorado is 7:30 p.m. MT (9:30 p.m. ET) on days when winning numbers are announced.
CT Lottery
Mega Millions sales in Connecticut are cut off at 10:45 p.m. ET on drawing days (Tuesdays and Fridays).
Delaware Lottery
The deadline for buying Mega Millions tickets in Delaware is 9:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
D.C. Lottery
The cutoff to buy Mega Millions tickets in Washington, D.C., is 10:45 p.m. ET on the days when winning tickets are announced (Tuesdays and Fridays).
The last time to buy Mega Millions tickets in Florida is 10 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Mega Millions ticket sales in Georgia are cut off at 10:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Idaho Lottery
The deadline to buy multi-state lottery tickets in Idaho is one hour and five minutes before the draw — or 7:55 p.m. MT (9:55 p.m. ET) on Tuesdays and Fridays for Mega Millions.
The cutoff time to buy Mega Millions tickets in Illinois is 9:45 p.m. CT (10:45 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
Indiana Hoosier Lottery
Mega Millions lottery ticket sales in Indiana are cut off at 10:44 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Iowa Lottery
The cutoff time to buy Mega Millions tickets in Iowa is 8:59 p.m. CT (9:59 p.m. ET) on days when the winning numbers are picked.
Kansas Lottery
The deadline to purchase Mega Millions tickets in Kansas is 8:59 p.m. CT (9:59 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
Kentucky Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Kentucky is 9:45 p.m. CT (10:45 p.m. ET) on days when the winning numbers are announced.
Louisiana Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Louisiana is 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
Maine Lottery
The cutoff time to buy Mega Millions tickets in Maine is 9:50 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Maryland Lottery
Mega Millions ticket sales in Maryland are cut off 15 minutes before Mega Millions drawings — or 10:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Massachusetts Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Massachusetts is 10:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
The cutoff to buy Mega Millions tickets in Michigan is 10:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Minnesota Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Minnesota is 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET) on the day when winning numbers are announced.
MO Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Missouri is 8:59 p.m. CT (9:59 p.m. ET) on the day of the draw.
Montana Lottery
Sales of Mega Millions tickets in Montana are cut off at 8 p.m. MT (10 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
Nebraska Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Nebraska is 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET) on the night of drawings.
NH Lottery
You can buy Mega Millions tickets in New Hampshire until 9:50 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
New Jersey Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in New Jersey is 10:45 p.m. ET on the day when winning numbers are picked.
New Mexico Lottery
Mega Millions ticket sales in New Mexico are cut off at 8:45 p.m. MT (10:45 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
New York Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in New York state is 10:45 p.m. ET on days when winning numbers are announced.
NC Lottery
Mega Millions ticket sales in North Carolina are cut off at 10:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
North Dakota Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in North Dakota is 8:58 p.m. CT (9:58 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
Mega Millions lottery ticket sales in Ohio are cut off at 10:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing (Tuesday and Friday).
Oklahoma Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Oklahoma is 8:59 p.m. CT (9:59 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
Oregon Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Oregon is 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) on drawing days.
The cutoff time to buy Mega Millions tickets in Pennsylvania is 9:59 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Rhode Island Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Rhode Island is 9:50 p.m. ET on drawing nights.
South Carolina Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in South Carolina is 10 p.m. ET on days when the winning numbers are announced.
South Dakota Lottery
South Dakota Mega Millions ticket sales are cut off at 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in Tennessee is 9:45 p.m. CT (10:45 p.m. ET) on days when winning numbers are announced.
The cutoff time for Mega Millions ticket sales in Texas is 9:45 p.m. CT (10:45 p.m. ET) on drawing days.
Vermont Lottery
The cutoff for buying Mega Millions tickets in Vermont is 9:50 p.m. ET on drawing days (Tuesdays and Fridays).
Virginia Lottery
The deadline for Mega Millions sales in Virginia is 10:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Washington Lottery
Mega Millions lottery ticket sales in Washington are cut off at 7:45 p.m. PT (10:45 p.m. ET) on drawing nights.
West Virginia Lottery
The deadline to buy Mega Millions tickets in West Virginia is 9:59 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
Wisconsin Lottery
The cutoff time to buy Mega Millions tickets in Wisconsin is 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET) on Tuesdays and Fridays in order to have a chance to win the jackpot in that night's drawing.
Wyoming Lottery
Mega Millions ticket sales in Wyoming close at 8 p.m. MT (10 p.m. ET) on the day of the drawing.