The $1 Megaplier add-on multiplies most non-jackpot Mega Millions prizes by 2× to 5×. Here's exactly how the multiplier is drawn, the worked math behind whether it's worth a dollar, and how the structure compares to Powerball's Power Play.
What Megaplier is
Megaplier is Mega Millions' equivalent of Powerball's Power Play feature — an optional $1 add-on per play. Add Megaplier to a ticket and a separate Megaplier number (2, 3, 4, or 5) is drawn after the main 5 white balls + gold Mega Ball. That number multiplies most non-jackpot prizes on the ticket.
A standard Mega Millions ticket costs $2. With Megaplier, $3. Like Power Play, Megaplier applies to every play on a single ticket — you can't opt some plays in and others out without buying separate tickets.
The Megaplier wheel — only 2× to 5×, no 10×
One important difference from Powerball: Megaplier tops out at 5×. There is no 10× multiplier ball. The wheel composition (per Mega Millions' published rules):
2× multiplier
Most common outcome
~5/15 balls
3× multiplier
Slightly more common than 2×
~6/15 balls
5× multiplier
Rarest, biggest payout
~1/15 ball
The 5× ball is the rarest. Most draws produce a 2× or 3× multiplier. The expected multiplier across all draws is approximately 3.0×, calculated as (2×5 + 3×6 + 4×3 + 5×1)/15 = 45/15 = 3.0.
What Megaplier multiplies
Match 5 + Mega Ball
Not multiplied
Jackpot
Match 5 (no Mega Ball)
× Megaplier (up to $5M with 5×)
$1,000,000
Match 4 + Mega Ball
× Megaplier
$10,000
Match 3 + Mega Ball
× Megaplier
$200
Match 2 + Mega Ball
× Megaplier
$10
Match 1 + Mega Ball
× Megaplier
$4
Match Mega Ball only
× Megaplier
$2
Megaplier multiplies every non-jackpot tier including the $1,000,000 Match-5-no-Mega-Ball prize. Unlike Powerball's flat $2M cap on Match-5 with Power Play, Mega Millions multiplies Match-5 by the full drawn multiplier. A 5× multiplier on Match-5 turns the $1M prize into $5M.
The jackpot is still not multiplied
Megaplier never affects the jackpot. Same as Power Play, the jackpot is fixed by ticket sales and rolls on its own. The Megaplier purchase has no impact on your jackpot probability — only the size of non-jackpot prizes.
Expected value math — is Megaplier worth $1?
The base non-jackpot expected value
On a regular $2 Mega Millions ticket, the expected non-jackpot prize value (across all tiers, weighted by probability) is approximately $0.34. This is the secondary-prize EV; the jackpot adds variable additional EV depending on its size and split risk.
The Megaplier boost
Megaplier multiplies the base prize by the drawn multiplier. The additional value beyond what you'd already receive is (expected_multiplier − 1) × base_EV.
With expected multiplier 3.0× and base secondary EV $0.34, the Megaplier boost is approximately: $0.34 × (3.0 − 1) = $0.68 of additional expected value per $1 Megaplier dollar.
Plus the Match-5 boost specifically: $1M base × (3.0 − 1) × 1/12,607,306 odds = roughly $0.16 of extra EV. Add that to the $0.68 from the multiplier-multiplied tiers and Megaplier delivers about $0.84 of expected value per $1 spent.
Conclusion: Megaplier is better expected value than Powerball's Power Play in the no-10× regime (~84¢ on the dollar vs ~53¢) but still negative-EV on average. The gap exists primarily because Mega Millions multiplies Match-5 by the full multiplier while Powerball caps it flat.
The numbers above ignore prize-split risk at the $1M+ tiers (multiple winners halve the prize) and treat state taxes as zero. Both effects reduce the realized EV somewhat but don't change the relative ordering of Megaplier vs Power Play.
Comparison to Powerball Power Play
The two multiplier add-ons sound similar but have material differences. Side-by-side:
Multiplier range
* Power Play 10× only when jackpot <$150M
Megaplier 2-5×; Power Play 2-10×*
Match-5 treatment
Megaplier is better here
Megaplier multiplies; Power Play caps at $2M
Expected multiplier
Megaplier more consistent
Megaplier 3.0× (always); Power Play 2.65×-3.3× (depends on jackpot)
Approx. EV per $1
Megaplier better
Megaplier ~$0.84; Power Play ~$0.53-$0.74
Neither multiplies jackpot
On expected value terms, Megaplier is the better add-on most of the time. If you're a regular player who buys tickets for both games, the case for adding the multiplier on Mega Millions is stronger than on Powerball.
When Megaplier makes more sense
•
You're targeting secondary tiers. The Match-5 boost (1× → 5×) turns a $1M prize into $5M. For players whose strategy is "if I hit, hit big," that upside is meaningfully attractive.
•
You're buying multiple plays per draw. The mild negative EV averages out faster with more plays. Across 10 tickets with Megaplier, the variance tightens and the expected outcome approaches the EV calculation.
•
You'd rather have a reliable boost than a variable one. Power Play's 10×/no-10× regime switching is opaque — most players don't realize the 10× ball disappears above $150M. Megaplier is the same wheel every draw.
When to skip Megaplier
•
Single-ticket plays. One ticket has very high variance; the EV improvement disappears.
•
Pure jackpot chasing. Megaplier doesn't touch the jackpot. If you only care about the headline prize, the extra $1 is wasted.
•
Tight bankroll. Adding 50% to your ticket cost ($2 → $3) for a negative-EV upside is a leverage move; without Megaplier, $3 buys 1.5 tickets and 1.5× the jackpot probability.
How the Megaplier is drawn
The Megaplier draw happens after the main draw, using a separate physical ball machine with 15 balls (the composition above). The Megaplier number is announced alongside the main drawn numbers. The machine and balls are audited by an independent firm and witnessed by state lottery officials.
The Megaplier wheel composition has been stable since the October 2017 Mega Millions redesign (the same redesign that changed the matrix from 5/75 + 1/15 to 5/70 + 1/25 and bumped ticket price from $1 to $2). The 5× cap and 15-ball wheel are unchanged across all subsequent matrix adjustments.
State availability
Megaplier is available in all participating Mega Millions jurisdictions except California. California's state constitution requires lottery prizes to be pari-mutuel (distributed from a fixed pool) rather than fixed-payout, so the multiplier add-on can't be offered there. California ticket-buyers get a different non-jackpot prize structure that's recalculated each draw based on California sales and winners.
Outside California, Megaplier is sold as an opt-in feature alongside the main ticket. Some self-service kiosks default to Megaplier-on and require the buyer to explicitly remove it; check your ticket before walking away.
JackpotX's take
Megaplier is the better expected-value multiplier of the two big U.S. games. It's still negative-EV on average (~84 cents back per dollar spent), but the gap to break-even is smaller and the prize-tier ceilings are higher than Power Play's structure allows. For the full Power Play breakdown and the side-by-side multiplier-wheel comparison, see
/powerball-power-play-explained.
We show the Megaplier drawn for each Mega Millions draw on the per-draw permalinks at
/mega-millions/draws/<date>
so you can see the distribution over our recent snapshot window.
JackpotX is an analytics tool for entertainment. The Megaplier decision is about how to spend money you've already allocated to lottery play — it doesn't change the fundamental odds of winning the jackpot. If lottery play is straining your budget, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-GAMBLER (US).