One Dollar Opt-Out Costs Texas Lottery Winner $2 Million Payout

Nobody won Friday night's Mega Millions drawing for a top prize of $687 million. That means the next drawing on Tuesday, March 12 will be for an estimated $735 million.

Second-Tier Winners

Although no one matched all six numbers, two players managed to match the five non-Mega Ball numbers. That's a $1 million payout for someone in Georgia and a player in Texas.

Texas Mega Millions Winner

The $1 million Texas winner bought their Quick Pick ticket at a Circle K location in Richwood, Texas.

Richwood is located just north of Freeport, Texas, and has a population of nearly 5,000.

How To Play the Megaplier Option

The Mega Millions game allows players to add payouts to their winning tickets. It costs $2 to play Mega Millions, for an extra dollar, you can add the Megaplier option.

When purchased, any prize you win (other than the jackpot) will be multiplied by the Megaplier number drawn, which could be anywhere from 2X up to 5X.

The Megaplier for Friday's drawing was '3'. The payout for someone who matched 3 of the 5 non-Mega Ball numbers was $10, however, anyone who purchased the Megaplier option received 3 times that amount - $30.

Kiss $2 Million Goodbye

Neither of the $1 million winners from Georgia or Texas spent the extra buck to enact the Megaplier option. If they had done so, their payout would have been $3 million.

I'm sure both winners were ecstatic to win a million bucks, but I wonder what they thought about losing an extra $2 million over a one-dollar decision.

Why Not Opt to Play the Megaplier?

When given the option to add another dollar for the Megaplier, the majority of Mega Millions players do not opt-in.

One of the more common arguments is why spend the extra dollar when your chances of winning any prize amount are rather small. Then, why play the game at all, if that's your logic?

Most people don't buy just one Quick Pick, so choosing the Megaplier option on all your purchases can add up, a dollar at a time. Still, I don't understand trying to cut corners and save a few dollars when you could be winning a $30,000 payout instead of $10,000, or as was the case Friday, a $3 million payout instead of a million.