What there is to know
- April 4 is the day the deadline for buying New York Mega Millions tickets is brought forward nearly an hour to 10 p.m. on draw days.
- Previously, same-day raffle tickets could be purchased until 10:45 p.m. Draws are held at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. This part will not change. Officials announced the plan last month.
- According to lottery officials, closing the draw earlier gives the New York Lottery more time to complete closing procedures for each Mega Millions draw.
NEW YORK — Today, Tuesday, is the day the deadline to purchase New York Mega Millions tickets is brought forward nearly an hour to 10 p.m. on draw days.
Previously, same-day raffle tickets could be purchased until 10:45 p.m. Draws are held at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. This part will not change. Officials announced the plan last month.
According to lottery officials, closing the draw earlier gives the New York Lottery more time to complete closing procedures for each Mega Millions draw.
It’s unclear exactly what those procedures entail, but officials said the change is strictly operational and will not affect Mega Millions players (except, of course, those trying to purchase tickets after 10 p.m. on April 4).
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 per play. Those who play the lottery choose six numbers from two separate number pools: five different numbers from 1-70 and one number from 1-25 for Mega Ball, or select Quick Pick so that the numbers are randomly selected. To win the jackpot, you must match all six numbers.
Players can also use the Megaplier feature for an additional $1 per game. The Megaplier multiplies non-Jackpot prizes up to five times. Another Mega Millions feature called “Just the Jackpot” gives players two Quick Pick tickets that are only eligible to win the jackpot for just $3.
New York Mega Millions generated $294,562,279 in total sales in fiscal year 2021-2022. School districts in New York received $119,222,978 in lottery education assistance funds from Mega Millions sales during the same period.
The Mega ‘rush’ took on incredible proportions earlier this year when the jackpot hit $1.35 billion. Only one Maine winner has claimed this award. It was the second biggest in Mega history and the fourth time the game had made a billion dollar profit.
The biggest Mega Millions jackpot came in October 2018 and was $1.53 billion, claimed by a single ticket holder in South Carolina. The game is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands.