Mega-Sena Concurso 3.045: Prize, Deadlines and Rules

Brazil's Mega-Sena is offering an estimated R$38 million prize in Concurso 3.045, scheduled to be drawn at 11am on Sunday 16 August in São Paulo. The prize accumulated because nobody matched all six numbers in the previous drawing on Thursday 12 August.

The minimum bet costs R$6 and can be placed at any lottery shop in Brazil or through the Loterias Caixa website and app. For Sunday draws, simple bets can be made until 10pm on Saturday through lottery units, the Loterias Caixa portal and the app. Digital Caixa pools have a later window, closing at 10:45am on Sunday, fifteen minutes before the draw.

Online payments can be made by PIX, credit card, or internet banking for Caixa account holders. Players must be at least 18 years old. According to Caixa, a six-number minimum game has a 1 in 50,063,860 chance of winning the main prize; a maximum 20-number bet costs R$232,560 and carries odds of 1 in 1,292.

The Real Arithmetic Behind the R$38 Million Headline

The Prize Grew, but a Minimum Ticket Still Faces Long Odds

The R$38 million figure reflects a rollover, not an increased probability. Caixa's data show a minimum six-number ticket has roughly one chance in 50 million of matching all six numbers. That is an extraordinarily low probability, even alongside a headline prize.

The Maximum Bet Improves the Odds — Not the Economics

Caixa reports that a 20-number bet, which costs R$232,560, improves the chance to 1 in 1,292. That is a large relative improvement, but the arithmetic for the top prize remains unfavorable: if a single maximum ticket won the advertised R$38 million jackpot, the expected top-prize value would be roughly R$29,400, far below the ticket's cost. It would be lower still if other players also matched all six numbers.

Online and Pool Deadlines Leave a Narrow Sunday Window

The deadlines create two entry paths. Simple bets close at 10pm on Saturday, while digital Caixa pools remain open until 15 minutes before the Sunday draw. A Sunday-morning player can still enter through a pool, but cannot place a simple bet.

What Bettors Should Know Before the Sunday Cutoff

For consumers considering a ticket before the Sunday cutoff, the practical points from Caixa's rules and odds are:

  • A minimum R$6 ticket gives a 1 in 50,063,860 chance at the R$38 million prize; treat the purchase as entertainment spending, not a savings or investment strategy.
  • Single bets close at 10pm on Saturday via lottery outlets and Caixa's online channels; digital pools close at 10:45am on Sunday.
  • Online payment can be made by PIX, credit card, or internet banking if you are a Caixa account holder.
  • The R$232,560 maximum bet changes the probability to 1 in 1,292, but the cost still far exceeds the expected top-prize value for a single winning ticket.