How to Play Mega Millions from Illinois

The Illinois Lottery halted sales of Mega Millions tickets at the end of June 2017 due to a budget impasse. It is not known when the situation will be resolved and sales will resume, but there are still ways for residents of the state to play.

Purchase Tickets From Other States

You can buy Mega Millions tickets by visiting other states which are still authorised to participate. You should be aware that if you win a prize you will need to return to the state where you purchased your ticket in order to claim it.

Purchase Tickets Online

While you cannot purchase Mega Millions tickets directly from the Illinois Lottery during the suspension, you can use an online lottery messenger service so that official tickets from outside the state are bought in your name.

How It Works

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Click on the play link above. Once you have decided how many lines you wish to play, you can either choose your own numbers or go for a random selection. Alternatively, you can also join an online syndicate.

Decide how many draws you would like to enter, check your order and then confirm your payment. A confirmation email will be sent straight away.

Your tickets will then be bought for you by one of the lottery messenger service’s representatives. They visit authorised retailers in participating states, before uploading a scanned copy of your tickets to your online account as confirmation.

You will be notified of any win and paid any prizes of up to $600 automatically. For prizes of a greater value, you will be called directly and guided through the claims process.

Playing Mega Millions from Illinois FAQs

If you're a dedicated Mega Millions player, find out what the IL State Lottery suspensions means for you and how to keep playing online.

Question: Why can’t I buy Mega Millions tickets in Illinois?

Answer: The Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Mega Millions, will not allow the Illinois Lottery to sell tickets as there is currently no guarantee that prizes will be paid. This is because the Illinois Lottery is still waiting to reach an agreement with the state’s legislature, which has failed to pass a budget for the year, over funds.

Question: When is Mega Millions coming back to Illinois?

Answer: The Illinois Lottery has said in a statement that the ‘timing is unknown’. Once an appropriation deal has been reached with the state’s legislature, the Illinois Lottery will then start working with the Multi-State Lottery Association to finalise a return.

Question: Can I still play Mega Millions if I live in Illinois?

Answer: Yes. You can visit another state, in which case you will also have to claim any prizes you win in the same state. Alternatively, you can use an online lottery messenger service to keep playing Mega Millions.

Question: What is a lottery messenger service?

Answer: Lottery messenger services buy tickets on your behalf, letting you enjoy games even if you are not located in the same state or even the same country. Once the tickets have been purchased, you will be sent scanned copies as confirmation and notified of any prizes won.

Question: Can I still win the same prizes?

Yes. The lottery messenger service will not charge a commission or fee for claiming a prize.

Visit the Mega Millions FAQs page to find out the answers to more queries you may have about the game.