Key Takeaways
- The Mega Millions jackpot reached $672 million (annuity) on July 17, 2026, with a cash option of $293.3 million before taxes.
- No ticket matched all six numbers; the top prize rolled over to the next drawing.
- The biggest secondary prize was $50,000 for matching four white balls plus the Mega Ball.
- The next drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, 2026, with an estimated jackpot of $707 million.
- Mega Millions drawings occur twice weekly (Tuesdays & Fridays at 11 p.m. ET); ticket sales close around 10:45 p.m. ET.
- Ticket price increased to $5 in April 2025; overall odds of any prize are 1 in 23, while jackpot odds stand at 1 in 302,575,350.
The Mega Millions jackpot has been climbing steadily since the last major win in March 2026, when an Ohio ticket holder claimed a $60 million prize on March 17. As of the Friday, July 17, 2026 drawing, the advertised jackpot sat at $672 million for the annuity payout, which translates to a $293.3 million lump‑sum cash option before federal and state taxes. The drawing produced the numbers 22‑34‑45‑48‑55 with a Mega Ball of 14. No player matched all six numbers, meaning the jackpot rolled over once again.
Despite the lack of a jackpot winner, the draw did generate a notable secondary prize. A single ticket that matched four of the five white balls plus the Mega Ball earned $50,000, the highest non‑jackpot award for that evening. All other prize tiers paid out according to the standard Mega Millions payout chart, which offers nine ways to win ranging from $10 up to the jackpot.
Looking ahead, the next Mega Millions drawing is set for Tuesday, July 21, 2026. With no jackpot winner on July 17, the prize pool is projected to grow to approximately $707 million (annuity) or about $308 million cash before taxes. This continued growth reflects the game’s rollover mechanism: when no ticket hits the jackpot, the entire amount (minus a small percentage allocated to lower‑tier prizes) is added to the next drawing’s pool.
Mega Millions drawings are held twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. Eastern Time. Ticket sales typically close around 10:45 p.m. ET, though exact cutoff times can vary slightly by state. Players select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 24. The price of a single ticket rose to $5 in April 2025, up from $2 previously and $1 before that. This price increase, combined with the 2017 matrix change that expanded the Mega Ball pool from 1‑15 to 1‑24, has lengthened the odds of hitting the jackpot from 1 in 259 million to the current 1 in 302,575,350. Harder odds produce more rollovers, which in turn fuel the multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar jackpots seen in recent years.
Overall, the odds of winning any prize in Mega Millions remain relatively favorable at approximately 1 in 23. Winners may choose between a lump‑sum cash payment (roughly 50‑60 % of the advertised jackpot) or an annuity consisting of 30 graduated annual payments. Historically, the majority of jackpot winners elect the cash option for immediate access to funds.
The July 17, 2026 jackpot would rank among the largest in Mega Millions history. For reference, the ten biggest jackpots to date include:
- $1.602 billion – Aug 8, 2023 (Florida)
- $1.537 billion – Oct 23, 2018 (South Carolina)
- $1.348 billion – Jan 13, 2023 (Maine)
- $1.337 billion – Jul 29, 2022 (Illinois)
- $1.269 billion – Dec 27, 2024 (California)
- $1.128 billion – Mar 26, 2024 (New Jersey)
- $1.05 billion – Jan 22, 2021 (Michigan)
- $810 million – Sep 10, 2024 (Texas)
- $656 million – Mar 30, 2012 (Illinois, Kansas, Maryland)
- $648 million – Dec 17, 2013 (California, Georgia)
The trend toward billion‑dollar jackpots is directly linked to the 2017 game redesign and successive ticket price hikes, which together have made the jackpot harder to win but far more lucrative when it eventually hits. As the jackpot continues to swell, player interest spikes, driving ticket sales and further accelerating the growth—setting the stage for another potentially historic payout on July 21, 2026.