Mega Millions is a popular multi-state lottery game in the United States that is played twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday evenings. The draw takes place at 11 pm Eastern Time on both days. Mega Millions tickets can be purchased up until 10:45 pm ET on the night of the draw in most participating states.
When are the Mega Millions draws held?
Mega Millions drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday night at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. This means the latest time you can purchase a Mega Millions ticket and be eligible for that night’s drawing is 10:45 pm ET.
Sales cut-off times may vary slightly by state, but typically ticket sales stop about 15 minutes before the drawing. So if you want a chance to win that night’s Mega Millions jackpot, you need to buy your ticket by 10:45 pm ET.
Can you buy Mega Millions tickets after the cutoff time?
No, Mega Millions tickets cannot be purchased after 10:45 pm ET on the night of the drawing. The sales cutoff time is strictly enforced to ensure all entries are properly processed and validated before the draw occurs. Any tickets purchased after 10:45 pm ET will be invalid for that night’s drawing.
If you attempt to buy a Mega Millions ticket after 10:45 pm on Tuesday or Friday, the lottery terminal will not allow the transaction. The system is automatically disabled to prevent late entries. So make sure to get your Mega Millions tickets before the cutoff!
What happens if you buy a ticket after the deadline?
If by some fluke you are able to purchase a Mega Millions ticket after 10:45 pm ET, either in person or online, that ticket will not be valid for the drawing that night. This is because the lottery has to ensure proper processing and validation of all entries before the drawing can happen. Late entries are disqualified.
Instead, any tickets bought after the cutoff time will be entered into the next drawing. For example, if you bought a ticket at 11 pm ET on Tuesday night, your ticket would be entered into the Friday night drawing instead. Tickets are bearer instruments, so it will still be a valid ticket, just not for the intended drawing.
Can you buy tickets in advance of the deadline?
Yes, absolutely. Mega Millions tickets can be purchased in advance of the Tuesday and Friday night drawings. You do not have to wait until the last minute to play.
Many people buy Mega Millions tickets days or even weeks ahead of time. Lottery tickets are bearer instruments that do not expire. A ticket is valid for the next upcoming drawing, whatever night that may be.
Buying your Mega Millions tickets early can be a great idea to avoid the last minute rush and make sure you don’t miss the cutoff time. Just hold onto the ticket securely until the drawing.
What time is the absolute latest you can buy a Mega Millions ticket?
The absolute latest time you can purchase a Mega Millions ticket to be eligible for that night’s drawing is 10:45 pm ET on Tuesday and Friday evenings.
The ticket sales cutoff times are:
- Tuesday drawings – Sales end at 10:45 pm ET
- Friday drawings – Sales end at 10:45 pm ET
Keep in mind that the 10:45 pm ET cutoff is for in person sales at authorized lottery retailers. If buying online, the cutoff times may be earlier, for example 10:15 pm ET, to allow time for the ticket to process.
No Mega Millions tickets can be sold after 10:45 pm ET. The lottery terminals shut down automatically at that time to prevent any late entries from coming in.
Can you buy a ticket after 10:45 pm in another time zone?
No, Mega Millions tickets sales are synchronized to Eastern Time across the United States. The 10:45 pm ET cutoff applies regardless of your local time zone.
For example, if you are in California where it is 7:45 pm local time, ticket sales will still end at 10:45 pm Eastern Time. So while it may seem early based on your local time, you must adhere to the ET deadlines.
Conclusion
In summary, the absolute latest time you can purchase a Mega Millions ticket and be eligible for the drawing that night is 10:45 pm Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays. This cutoff applies across all participating states, regardless of local time zone differences.
Mega Millions tickets cannot be sold after the 10:45 pm ET deadline under any circumstances. Be sure to get your ticket before then to take your chance at the big jackpot!
Here is an example comparison table:
| Drawing Day | Ticket Sales Cutoff Time |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10:45 pm ET |
| Friday | 10:45 pm ET |
This table demonstrates that the cutoff time for Mega Millions ticket sales is 10:45 pm Eastern Time on both Tuesday and Friday evenings, regardless of which drawing day it is. Tickets cannot be purchased after this time for that night’s drawing.
Why does Mega Millions have a strict cutoff time?
Mega Millions has a strict ticket sales cutoff time of 10:45 pm ET for several important reasons:
Processing of entries
The lottery needs time to process and validate all entries before the drawing can take place. Cutting off sales at 10:45 pm allows enough time for this.
Security
Having a defined sales endpoint enhances security and ensures no late entries slip in. This protects the integrity of the game.
Fairness
A uniform cutoff provides fairness for all players by establishing an equal window of time to purchase entries.
Logistics
Businesses need to close up shop at some point. A clear-cut sales cutoff allows retailers to shut down operations for the day.
Odds calculation
The number of entries impacts the jackpot odds. Establishing a firm cutoff enables accurate odds calculation based on tickets sold.
Can you buy a ticket online after 10:45 pm ET?
No, Mega Millions tickets cannot be purchased online after 10:45 pm Eastern Time on drawing nights. Most online ticket sales platforms enforce an even earlier cutoff, such as 10:15 or 10:30 pm ET.
This is to allow sufficient time for the order processing and ticket validation before the 10:45 pm ET endpoint. So if you want to buy Mega Millions tickets online, be sure to do so an hour or more before the drawing.
What happens if you are in line before 10:45 pm?
If you are physically in line at an authorized Mega Millions retailer before the 10:45 pm ET cutoff, you will be permitted to purchase a ticket for that night’s drawing.
Retailers will serve all customers who were in line prior to the deadline to provide fair and equal opportunity to participate.
However, you must be physically standing in line. If you show up to the store at 10:46 pm or later, you will not be allowed to buy a ticket since the sales period has ended.
Can retailers sell tickets after the deadline?
No, lottery retailers are prohibited from selling Mega Millions tickets after the 10:45 pm Eastern Time deadline. Retail terminals automatically disable Mega Millions sales at 10:45 pm ET.
Retailers who violate the terms and conditions by knowingly selling invalid tickets after the deadline could face penalties, suspensions, or loss of lottery licensing.
So buyers should not ask and retailers should not agree to illegal after-hours ticket sales. Valid tickets must be purchased by 10:45 pm ET.
What is the process leading up to the cutoff time?
In the hours and minutes leading up to the 10:45 pm ET Mega Millions ticket cutoff time, the lottery and retailers follow strict protocols to close out sales. These include:
10:00 pm ET
Terminals begin displaying countdown clocks to notify of impending sales cutoff.
10:30 pm ET
Retailers receive automated alerts that ticket sales will end in 15 minutes.
10:40 pm ET
Final countdown warnings flash at terminals and via retailer alerts.
10:45 pm ET
Ticket sales automatically disabled systemwide; any sales past this point are invalid.
10:46 pm ET
Drawing officially closes to new entries; audit protocols initiate to validate all entries.
This ensures a smooth, orderly, and secure process leading up to the absolute 10:45 pm ET cutoff for Mega Millions ticket sales.
Is it 10:45 pm local time or Eastern Time?
The 10:45 pm ticket sales cutoff time for Mega Millions is set according to Eastern Time. This applies across all participating U.S. jurisdictions.
So 10:45 pm ET equates to:
- 9:45 pm Central Time
- 8:45 pm Mountain Time
- 7:45 pm Pacific Time
To avoid confusion, Mega Millions advertisements and retailer terminals will display the local equivalent of the ET cutoff time. But the authoritative deadline remains 10:45 pm Eastern.
Can you buy a ticket at 10:44:59 pm ET?
Technically yes, a Mega Millions ticket purchased at 10:44:59 pm ET on the night of the drawing is valid for entry. However, this is an extremely risky proposition given variables such as processing time lag.
The ticket terminals automatically disable at 10:45:00 pm ET sharp. There is no grace period. So leaving it to the last possible second is not advisable.
In practice, you should stop trying to buy a ticket by 10:44 pm ET at the very latest. This allows a minute for the ticket to fully process and validate before the absolute 10:45 pm ET cutoff.
Does the time zone affect when you can buy tickets?
Yes, your local time zone affects what time you can actually purchase Mega Millions tickets, even though the official cutoff is based on Eastern Time.
For example, if you are in Pacific Time, you need to buy tickets by 7:45 pm local time. That corresponds to 10:45 pm ET.
So you always have to factor in the time zone difference to determine your local Mega Millions sales cutoff time relative to the 10:45 pm ET standard cutoff.
Can you buy a Mega Millions ticket at 10:46 pm ET?
No, Mega Millions tickets cannot be purchased at 10:46 pm ET or any time past the 10:45 pm ET cutoff on the night of the drawing.
At 10:46 pm ET, the ticket sales terminals automatically disable across all lottery retailers and online platforms. There is no grace period or flexibility on the cutoff time.
Any Mega Millions tickets sold after 10:45 pm ET are invalid and ineligible for that drawing. The 10:45 pm ET deadline is absolute with no exceptions.
What is the earliest you can buy Mega Millions tickets?
There is no official earliest time that Mega Millions tickets can be purchased. Ticket sales typically start again the morning after each drawing at around 6 or 7 am local time.
So you can generally buy Mega Millions tickets for an upcoming drawing as early as the day after the previous drawing, giving almost a full week of advanced play for each draw.
Buying tickets well ahead of time can be a good strategy to avoid last minute scrambles to meet the 10:45 pm ET cutoff on drawing nights.
Can you buy tickets weeks or months in advance?
Yes, Mega Millions tickets can be purchased weeks or even months in advance of the drawing if you wish. Lottery tickets do not have an expiration date.
When you buy a Mega Millions ticket, it is valid for the next upcoming drawing, whether that is in a few days, a few weeks, or a few months out.
Some players like to buy tickets way ahead as gifts for birthdays, anniversaries or the December holiday season. Tickets make great last minute stocking stuffers!
What is the process to buy advance tickets?
The process to buy Mega Millions tickets in advance for drawings more than a few days out is simple:
- Ask for the specific drawing date(s) you want tickets for
- The retailer will print tickets encoded for those future draw dates
- You then hold and secure the ticket(s) until the drawing
For online sales, you simply select the option to buy tickets for a future draw date. The system will process and issue tickets coded for that date.
What weeks are the Tuesday and Friday drawings?
| Drawing Week | Tuesday Date | Friday Date |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | October 17 | October 20 |
| Week 2 | October 24 | October 27 |
| Week 3 | October 31 | November 3 |
| Week 4 | November 7 | November 10 |
This table shows the upcoming Tuesday and Friday drawing dates for the next four weeks. Mega Millions drawings occur every Tuesday and Friday, with tickets sales ending at 10:45 pm ET the night of the draw.
Can the cutoff time change?
The 10:45 pm Eastern Time ticket sales cutoff for Mega Millions drawings is unlikely to change. But it is possible in rare circumstances.
For example, during a major weather event or system outage, a state lottery may extend the cutoff briefly. Or if a participating state changes its local lottery laws, it may impact the multistate game cutoff.
That said, the 10:45 pm ET rule has been consistent for many years. Barring an extraordinary situation, you can rely on having until 10:45 pm ET to buy Mega Millions tickets for that night’s draw.
Conclusion
The key points to remember about the Mega Millions ticket sales cutoff time are:
- Deadline is every Tuesday & Friday at 10:45 pm Eastern Time
- Applies across all participating states regardless of local time zone
- Tickets cannot be purchased after 10:45 pm ET for that night’s draw
- Online sales end earlier, usually by 10:15 pm ET
- Get in line at retailer before 10:45 pm ET to buy ticket
- Tickets can be purchased weeks or months in advance
- Cutoff time is strictly enforced to ensure drawing integrity
Adhering to the 10:45 pm Eastern Time ticket sales deadline is critical to have a chance to win the Mega Millions jackpot. Be sure to buy your tickets early enough to avoid missing the cutoff!
