Mega Millions’ History: How it All Began

Interest in Mega Millions surges all around the country because of its amazing potential billion dollar jackpots, but how much do you really know about this amazing draw game?

Mega Millions has undergone many changes over the years, from different rules to different prize amounts and even entirely different names! Dive into the fascinating history of one of the biggest lottery games in the world, and learn all about what makes Mega Millions tick.

When Did Mega Millions Start?

Wondering how long Mega Millions has been around? The quick answer—a while!

On 31 August, 1996, Mega Millions was launched as a brand new, exciting lottery originally called ‘The Big Game’. The first draw for The Big Game took place shortly after on 6 September 1996. In that first draw, only six states competed; a far cry from the 45 that currently do.

The Big Game was only renamed to Mega Millions in 2002, as changes were made to the format and more states were added. By 2005, Mega Millions was the most widely played jackpot game in the United States.

As you can expect, the lottery kept on growing, hitting 47 jurisdictions in 2010 as its jackpots got bigger and bigger.

In 2011, Mega Millions introduced the optional Megaplier add-on which meant that non-jackpot prizes were also maximized, making even lower wins exciting.

How Does Mega Millions Work?

Back in 1996 as ‘The Big Game’, players needed to select five numbers from a pool of 50, and one extra number—then called the ‘Big Money Ball’—from a separate pool of 25. This format gave players a clear shot at the jackpot by matching all six numbers, and the overall odds were relatively favorable compared to today.

At the time, only six states participated, and the game drew twice a week. It was a big deal for multi-state lotteries, but pretty basic compared to what it would become.

In 2002, the game was rebranded as Mega Millions, and with that came a change to the number pools. Players now had to pick five numbers from 1 to 52, and the Mega Ball—which replaced the ‘Big Money Ball’ in name—was also drawn from a pool of 1 to 52. This shift made it harder to win but allowed the jackpot amounts to grow larger and attract more attention.

Since then, the game has been adjusted several times to balance odds, excitement, and prize sizes. Today, in 2025, the rules require players to choose five numbers from 1 to 70 and one gold Mega Ball from 1 to 24. The ticket now costs $5, and a built-in multiplier automatically boosts non-jackpot prizes by anywhere from 2x to 10x. While the basic structure of the game remains intact, the changes over the years have made Mega Millions a tougher but more rewarding lottery to win.

Check out our comprehensive guide to learn more about how Mega Millions works.

When Was the Original Mega Millions Drawing? Has it Changed?

When the game first kicked off, draws were held once a week on Tuesdays. Under the 2002 revamp, the draw was moved to Friday nights, with the idea to attract more players for a weekend event.

2013 saw the game add a second weekly draw on Tuesday nights, and there has been no change since then. The extra mid-week draw gave players more chances to win, while also enabling jackpots to rise quicker.

With jackpots continuing to climb into the hundreds of millions (sometimes even billions), lottery enthusiasts are consistently drawn from nearly every corner of the U.S. every time tickets go on sale.

How Important Is The Mega Ball?

The additional sixth ball has always been an integral feature of Mega Millions, no matter what it was called.

It wasn’t just an extra pick; it was the key to hitting the jackpot. Even from the beginning, if you matched all five main numbers, you wouldn’t win the top prize without the Big Money Ball.

As the game changed and became Mega Millions, the Mega Ball stayed just as important, even though the name switched. It was still the number that could turn a regular win into something huge.

The Mega Ball matters a lot for the smaller prizes too. Many of the prize levels depend on matching the Mega Ball along with some of the other numbers, so it really shapes the odds and how much you can win overall.

Today, the Mega Ball is still front and center. It keeps the game fun and challenging. It’s also connected to the multiplier feature, which can boost non-jackpot prizes by a few times. That means the Mega Ball doesn’t just matter for hitting the jackpot, it adds extra value to lots of other wins as well.

Curious on how to choose your Mega Ball number? Some players use a lucky number, some randomly generate it, while some research the most frequent mega millions numbers to come up in draws.

Use the method that works best for you!

What is the Mega Millions Starting Jackpot?

The game’s starting jackpot has steadily increased over time too, consistently making the prize more enticing.

When the game first launched in 1996, the starting jackpot was relatively modest at $10 million. This amount was designed to be appealing but manageable for a new multi-state lottery.

In 2002, when the game was rebranded, the starting jackpot was raised to $12 million. This increase reflected the game’s growing popularity and the desire to offer bigger prizes.

Over the years, the starting jackpot continued to rise gradually. By the late 2000s, it was up to $15 million, and in the 2010s, it increased again to $20 million to keep pace with inflation and to attract more players.

Since April 2025, the starting jackpot has been a whopping $50 million.

Because of these adjustments, the odds of winning the jackpot have become longer over time; as of April 2025, the chance of hitting the top prize is about 1 in 290.4 million, making it a tough but thrilling challenge for players.

Mega Millions Jackpot History

As the game grew in popularity, so did its jackpots.

In 2012, Mega Millions made history with a jackpot of $656 million. Not only was this the biggest Mega Millions jackpot of all time, but it was also the world’s largest jackpot prize at the time!

While Mega Millions no longer holds that record, the game did storm into the billion dollar club with the highest Mega Millions jackpot ever, an amazing $1.602 billion jackpot in 2023. Amazingly, that giant jackpot was won by a single lottery ticket.

To date, Mega Millions has had a whopping six jackpot wins surpassing the $1 billion dollar mark. Check out the top prizes that have been won:

*Note: Cash values are approximate and reflect the lump-sum option before taxes.

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