How do you buy a mega millions ticket

LANSING, MI -- As the hype surrounding the $1.28 billion Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, July 29 hits a fevered pitch, millions of lottery players are scooping up tickets for their shot at a staggering amount of money.

However, if you’re not someone who plays the lottery often or, in some cases, ever before, knowing what to do, how to play and where you can get tickets can be a little intimidating. Especially if there’s a line of experienced players behind you at the local gas station and you have no idea what you’re doing.

Related story: Here’s the luckiest Mega Millions numbers of 2022, so far

Not to worry, we’re here to show exactly how to play the game, what you need to do to win and how you can buy tickets without leaving your house.

First, the basics...

Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game that is played in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Players must select five white numbers that range from 1-70 and a single gold number between 1-25. If you match all five white numbers and the gold ball you win the grand prize. You can also win prizes for matching as few as one white ball and the gold ball or you can win or money back by just matching the gold ball. The prizes get larger depending on the combination of matches you make.

A full prize table can be found here.

Related story: How you can stay anonymous in Michigan if you win the $1.1B Mega Millions jackpot

Each ticket with a set of numbers -- five white and one gold -- costs $2. So five sets would total $10. You can also add the “multiplier” option for $1 extra per ticket which guarantees to multiply your winnings by anywhere from double to 10 times the amount if you win. Meaning a $10 win can become $30 if you play the multiplier and the 3x option comes up.

It’s worth noting that the multiple does not apply to the grand prize, so you cannot win the $1.28 billion jackpot and multiply it.

Mega Millions drawings take place at 11 p.m. EST every Tuesday and Friday. In Michigan, you can purchase tickets for the drawing until 10:45 p.m. There are more than 10,500 lottery retail locations in Michigan and tickets can be purchased at gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants and more.

But even if you don’t have the time or the resources to get to a store to buy your tickets, here in Michigan you can also purchase them online through the Michigan Lottery website. To do so, you simply need to create an account, add your payment information, find the game you want to play and buy the tickets.

To create an account, visit the website and click “register” near the top of the page. From there you enter your email address, name, birthdate, social security number and other information that the state will use to verify your age/identity and help them contact you in case you win a large prize.

Related story: Michigan Lottery bracing website for rush ahead of $1 billion Mega Millions drawing

Once you’ve created your account, you can deposit money via credit/debit cards, paypal, online bank transfer and more. The minimum deposit is $10.

After the money is in your account, you can search for Mega Millions and the system will help you get your tickets. You can choose your own numbers or use the autofill option and a set of computer generated numbers will be selected for you.

From there, add those tickets to your cart and checkout, your tickets are ready and you can begin daydreaming about what you’re going to do with your newfound wealth.

For the latest on Michigan Lottery, check out the official Michigan Lottery site, which also offers more information on instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.

The last players from Michigan to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is the Wolverine FLL lottery club which claimed a $1.05 billion jackpot in March 2021. With their winnings, the group plans to give back to the community.

And while they were lucky winners, it’s smart for players to check their tickets immediately as a winner worth $1 million sold in Warren last year went unclaimed. The money instead went to the state’s School Aid Fund.

READ MORE:

Mega Millions $1.02 billion jackpot: Here’s how much you’d pay in taxes

So you’ve won the $1.02 billion Mega Millions jackpot, what should you do next?

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Here's what you need to know about where to buy a Mega Millions ticket. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)AP

Katherine Rodriguez | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $1.02 billion, the fourth largest jackpot in U.S. multistate lottery history.

The jackpot reached into the billions after no one matched all six numbers in Tuesday’s drawing.

The next drawing takes place on Friday, July 29, 2022.

Here’s everything you need to know about how you can buy tickets for this historically high jackpot.

Where can I buy a Mega Millions ticket?

Mega Millions tickets are sold from lottery retailers/agents in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the Mega Millions website.

In New Jersey, the New Jersey lottery website has a retailer finder so you can find the closest lottery retailer near you.

They are also sold online and through a mobile app.

Residents of New Jersey, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, D.C. can use the mobile app Jackpocket.

Jackpocket is a lottery mobile app allows you to buy official state lottery tickets fulfilled by licensed partners.

If you reside in Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, the District of Columbia or Virginia, you may buy Mega Millions tickets online. You can also purchase lottery ticket subscriptions if you live in New York.

However, you must be a resident of and be physically in their borders when making a lottery purchase online in these states.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.