How to play ca lottery mega millions

The amount of Powerball has reached a historic sum of $1.9 billion, motivating thousands of people around the country to decide to buy tickets with the dream of being the next big winner.

Many decide to share the wealth and join a pool.

According to the Lottery Department, most tickets must be claimed within 180 days of ticket purchase, except for Powerball and Mega Millions, where you have up to a year to claim it, starting the day the ticket was purchased.

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It is important to emphasize that there are rules regarding individual payments to people who entered a group to buy tickets. These rules apply for groups of 100 people or less.

According to the California Lottery Department, if you are a member of a lottery pool, you may claim your winnings on a Lottery Multiple Ownership Claim Form available at any California Lottery District Office.

You will find the list of those offices here.

Here's what to know.

What are the rules for prize winners between $600 to $999,999?

If you fall into this group of winners, the group must select a representative. This person must complete form CSL1242, in addition to IRS form 5754. It is this form where each person in the group must put their name exactly as it is on their identification form. Only one form needs to be filled.

It is recommended that each person in the group has a copy of the ticket.

A near-record powerball jackpot of about $1.2 billion dollars, after 38 drawings without a big winner. Michelle Valles reports for Today in LA on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2022.

What are the rules for winning pools of $1 million and above?

If you are part of this group, a representative must be chosen, that person must fill out claim form CSL 0896 and IRS form 5754. This person must sign the back of the ticket.

Each person in the group must complete form CSL 0897.

All group participants must agree to the same option plan.

Upon completing all the forms, and signing the ticket, you must take everything to the local district lottery office.

What do I need to do to claim the prize in person?

Follow the steps above to complete your claim form (whichever one applies).

Groups claiming prizes may send a single representative, but the representative must bring completed forms for all members of the group.

Please keep a copy or photograph of the claim form and the front and back of your winning ticket for your records.

Bring current identification (state ID card, driver's license, passport, etc.)

Prepare for your visit to Lottery District Offices by following all local health and safety requirements.

Can non-citizens play the lottery?

Non-citizens can also play.

All citizens, residents and non-citizens can participate in lottery games, the difference is the federal tax withholding.

Lottery prizes are not subject to California state income tax. The Lottery is required by federal tax law to withhold federal taxes of 24% for US citizens and resident aliens.

Non-US citizens will have 30% of all prizes withheld.

For more information on lottery rules, call 1-800-LOTTERY (568-8379) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or go to the CA Lottery website.

Though the jackpot was not awarded Friday evening, Mega Millions did produce some big winners. There were 2 second prize winners from Friday night's drawing, matching all five lotto numbers but not the Mega Ball number. The 2 second prize winning ticket(s) sold in CA,PA won $1,000,000 cash each.

With 9 different prize tiers, there were a total of 1,864,230 winning tickets sold across the nation in the Friday, December 9th, 2022 drawing.

Mega Millions game can be played in 43 states and D.C. Approximately 50% of the Mega Millions sales goes back towards the players in prizes. Approximately 15% is used to as retailer commissions and lottery operating costs. Approximately 35% total sales is used in government services, education and charities in the member lottery states. To play Mega Millions, choose 5 numbers from 1 to 70 then pick 1 Mega Ball number from a set of 25. Each play costs $1. In some states, players can choose to spend $1 extra to buy the Megaplier, which multiplies the winnings 2 to 5 times but not grand prize. The overall chances of winning any prizes is about 1 to 14. The chances of matching all six Mega Millions numbers are 1 to 302,575,350. The minimum Mega Millions advertised jackpot starts at $40 million. Its annuity option is paid in 30 equal annual installments. Winners can select one-time lump-sum cash payout option instead.

Contrary to other Mega Millions participants, all the nine prize levels of California Mega Millions are parimutuel, rather than non-jackpot prize having a set amount. This leads to different amounts of prize for equivalent winners sold in California when compared to those sold in other forty three states. By way of example, the second Mega Millions prizes is a million dollar could pay the winner over $1000,000 due to the pari-mutuel payout system of California lottery. For the same reason, CA state lottery does not offer Megaplier like other Mega Millions states.

There were 121,685 Mega Millions winning tickets sold in the state of California. Find below the CA Mega Millions payout highlights for the Friday night's drawing.

• 1 ticket(s) matched 5 of 5 and won $1,561,712 each. In the past 1 year, tickets matched 5 of 5 in CA Mega Millions drawing, won from $154,436 to $7,727,088, with an average of $2,886,192 payout.
• 1 ticket(s) matched 4 of 5 + Megaball and won $31,957 each. In the past 1 year, tickets matched 4 of 5 + Megaball in CA Mega Millions drawing, won from $2,954 to $93,458, with an average of $19,304 payout.
• 100 ticket(s) matched 4 of 5 and won $359 each. In the past 1 year, tickets matched 4 of 5 in CA Mega Millions drawing, won from $186 to $926, with an average of $477 payout.
• 181 ticket(s) matched 3 of 5 + Megaball and won $226 each. In the past 1 year, tickets matched 3 of 5 + Megaball in CA Mega Millions drawing, won from $125 to $293, with an average of $200 payout.

To find out if you are among the California top prize winners of Mega Millions Friday, December 9th, 2022's drawing, check below lucky stores where these tickets were sold.

• Detailed Draw Results For California

Click here for detailed information of California MEGA Millions payout and news.

 About California Mega Millions

California Mega Millions - All you need to become a Millionaire is $1 and lady luck smiling on you.

California Lottery was started in 1985 after lottery was legalised in California in the year 1984. Later California Lottery started participating in the already existing and popular lottery called Mega Millions, thereby giving birth to California Mega Million.

An unbelievable $ 12,000,000 is the jackpot prize. Just imagine what all you can do with this kind of money.

The popular lottery - Mega Millions also called MM is a lottery that is available or played across multiple states in America. The name of the Mega Millions lottery earlier was .The Big Game..

In California Mega Millions, you need to select any 6 numbers from two different groups of numbers. The 1st group of numbers is from 1 to 56 and the 2nd group of numbers is from 1 to 46. If six numbers match, you win the jackpot. In California, prizes are pari-mutuel which means the payouts depends on the quantity of tickets sold and within that, the quantity of tickets have won the games.

You can claim your California Mega Millions prize from 2 modes of payment. One is annual payment where you will be provided in 26 annual payments and the other is cash payment where full amount is paid.

The California Mega Millions draws are conducted 2 days a week on Tuesday and Friday. The draw is at 7.45 pm.

 How to play California Mega Millions?

1. Visit your nearest California Mega Millions retailer. There are 20,000 California Mega Millions retail shops.
2. Once you convey your wish to play the California Mega Millions game, the retailer would give you a play slip.
3. You need to then pick 5 numbers you consider lucky from 2 groups of numbers. The 1st 4 numbers you need to choose is from 1 to 56 and the 5th numbers you need to choose is from 1 to 46.
4. You need to choose & mark these numbers on the California Mega Millions pay slip.
5. In case you are unable to choose the numbers on your own, use the Quick Pick facility where a computer would choose the numbers for you randomly.
6. Each California Mega Millions play slip contains 5 plays. You need to buy more pay slips to play more games.
7. There is also a feature in called Advance Play which permits you to bet on the same numbers on successive draws.
8. In case you are availing Quick Pick, you are permitted up to 10 plays on the same play slip.
9. While marking on the pay slip, see that you use only black ink or blue ink pens. Other colours are not valid. In case you made mistake, instead of erasing, use the VOID box to make your mark.
10. Once you have ensured that you have marked your California Mega Millions pay slip correctly, hand it over to the retailer along with $1.You would then be given a ticket. This ticket you receive also acts as a receipt.
    
11. Check the correctness of the ticket you have received for the date, the numbers you have placed bet on, draw details and the amount paid for the ticket.
12. Once you are convinced that the information available on the California Mega Millions ticket is correct, place your signature on the back side of the ticket.
13. It is to be noted that a California Mega Millions ticket that is once sold will not, under any circumstance, be cancelled.
14. The tickets are bar coded. You can check you winning status either by scanning your ticket at the retailer or by visiting the California Mega Millions website.

 More About California Mega Millions

The California Mega Millions draw is usually conducted in the city of Atlanta in Georgia. It is conducted by WSB-TV.

For very large draws, the Mega Millions draw is sometimes conducted in New York City's Times Square.

The first 5 numbers are chosen using white colored balls and the 6th number is called the Mega Ball number. The 2 sets of numbers are drawn using different machines.

Unlike other states, Megaplier, a $2 game, is not offered as a part of California Mega Millions.

The chance of winning any prize is 1 in 40.

There are chances that there is more than one winner in a California Mega Millions draw. In such a case the prize is shared among the winners. However the number of winners, if belonging to the same group, should not be more than 100.

Suppose the winner dies before collecting the prize money, his / her heir can collect the California Mega Millions prize money. There is of course a formal procedure for the same.

The winners should claim or collect their prize within 180 days. If not collected, the prize will be awarded to the state of California and in turn fund schools and colleges.

The prizes of California Mega Millions above $599 are taxable. However there is no state/ or local tax pertaining to California.

It is mind blowing to know that the largest or biggest jackpot ever won in Mega Millions is of prize money $ 656,000,000 which is in 26 annual payments or an equivalent cash amount of $474,000,000. This was in the year 2012.

The 2nd highest jackpot (payable in 26 annual instalments) that was won was $390 million and the 3rd largest is $380 million.

You have to claim the jackpot prize within a year unlike other Mega Millions prizes which give a period of 180 days period. Thereafter you have 60 days to choose either the cash or the 26 annual payments.

In case of prizes other than jackpot, the same needs to be claimed within 180 days.

Younger people . do not lose heart. You can win or collect the prizes on tickets that have been gifted to you.

How many numbers to win Mega Millions CA?

How do you play the California Lottery?

Can you remain anonymous if you win Mega Millions in California?