The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to an estimated $600 million for the drawing set for Tuesday, October 14, 2025, marking the 11th time in the game’s history that the prize has reached this level. The estimated cash value stands at $277.2 million. No ticket matched all six numbers in the Friday, October 10, 2025, drawing, which featured white balls 3, 18, 23, 32 and 56, plus the gold Mega Ball 8.
Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, noted the scale of the prize. “Six hundred million dollars. When you say it out loud it really puts it in perspective. That’s a huge amount of money that someone has a chance to win Tuesday night,” Johnston said. “It’s a really exciting time to play.”
The October 10 drawing yielded 381,739 winning tickets across all prize levels, totaling more than $8 million in prizes. Seven tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball for the third-tier prize. Four of these, with a 2X multiplier, won $20,000 each in California, Maryland, Michigan and Ohio. Two with a 3X multiplier won $30,000 each in Arizona and California, and one with a 4X multiplier won $40,000 in Wisconsin. Prizes in California vary due to the state’s pari-mutuel rules.
The jackpot has rolled since its last win of $348 million in Virginia on June 27, 2025. Earlier in 2025, jackpots were claimed in Ohio for $112 million on April 18, in Illinois for $349 million on March 25, and in Arizona for $112 million on January 17. Over the current 30-drawing run, nearly 8.3 million tickets have won prizes totaling more than $196.5 million. This includes 13 second-tier prizes ranging from $2 million to $5 million, with multipliers applied: five at 2X in California, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina and Virginia; six at 3X, including two in California and one each in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York; and one each at 4X and 5X, both in California. Additionally, 183 third-tier prizes, from $20,000 to $100,000, have been won in 37 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Mega Millions drawings occur Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 per play, with an optional $1 Megaplier that can multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 times. To play, select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 25, or opt for a quick pick. The jackpot is won by matching all six numbers. Overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24, while jackpot odds are 1 in 302,575,350. Recent rule changes have adjusted these odds; as of April 2025, jackpot odds improved slightly to 1 in 290,472,336, with overall prize odds at 1 in 23.08.
Mega Millions has produced seven jackpots over $1 billion, all in different states: South Carolina in 2018, Michigan in 2021, Illinois in 2022, Maine and Florida in 2023, and New Jersey and California in 2024. The record jackpot remains $1.602 billion, won in Florida on August 8, 2023. Other notable prizes include $1.537 billion in South Carolina on October 23, 2018; $1.35 billion in Maine on January 13, 2023; $1.337 billion in Illinois on July 29, 2022; $1.22 billion in California on December 27, 2024; $1.128 billion in New Jersey on March 26, 2024; $1.08 billion in California on July 19, 2023; $1.05 billion in Michigan on January 22, 2021; $1.050 billion in Michigan on January 22, 2021 (a duplicate entry in records); and $656 million split among three winners in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland on March 30, 2012. The game’s largest prize before the billion-dollar era was $656 million in 2012.
Launched in 1996 as The Big Game with six states, Mega Millions expanded and rebranded in 2002. It now includes 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Proceeds fund education, infrastructure and other public programs in participating jurisdictions. For instance, in New York, funds support public schools; in California, they aid education from kindergarten through college.
Winners have 180 days to one year to claim prizes, depending on the state, and can choose annuity payments over 30 years or a lump-sum cash option. Federal taxes apply to winnings over $5,000, with rates up to 37 percent, and state taxes vary. Anonymity rules differ by state; some allow winners to remain private, while others require public disclosure.
The Megaplier, available in most states, is drawn separately and applies to non-jackpot prizes. Its frequency: 2X appears 15 times out of 30 draws, 3X 10 times, 4X three times, 5X once, and 10X once, though the 10X is rare. This feature has boosted many prizes in the current run.
As the jackpot grows, sales increase, often leading to higher final amounts than estimates. The game adjusted its matrix in 2017 to create larger jackpots by reducing odds and increasing starting prizes. This strategy has resulted in more frequent high-profile drawings.
Complete results from the October 10 draw are available on the official Mega Millions website. Players are advised to check tickets promptly and sign them to prevent loss.