No ticket matched all six numbers in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing, propelling the grand prize to an estimated $680 million annuity — or $318.2 million cash option — for Friday’s drawing on October 24, 2025. The drawing on October 21 featured white balls 2, 18, 27, 34 and 59, along with gold Mega Ball 18. That combination yielded 436,959 winning tickets nationwide across all prize levels, distributing nearly $12 million in prizes. The jackpot, now the ninth largest in the game’s history, last reset after a $348 million win in Virginia on June 27, 2025.
One Illinois ticket secured the second-tier prize by matching the five white balls and using the 3X Megaplier multiplier for $3 million. Eleven other tickets claimed third-tier prizes of $20,000 to $100,000 by matching four white balls plus the Mega Ball. Five used the 2X multiplier for $20,000 each — two in Florida and one apiece in California, Colorado and Massachusetts. Another five applied the 3X multiplier for $30,000 — one each in Arizona, California, Iowa, Louisiana and Ohio. A single New Jersey ticket with the 10X multiplier earned $100,000. Prizes in California vary from standard amounts due to the state’s pari-mutuel prize pool, which adjusts payouts based on ticket sales and winners. Full results from the October 21 drawing are available on the official Mega Millions site.
This jackpot run, spanning 33 drawings since the Virginia win, has produced more than 9.5 million winning tickets and $229.2 million in total prizes. Among those, 16 second-tier wins stand out: seven at 2X (Arizona, California, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia), seven at 3X (two in California; one each in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York), plus one each at 4X and 5X (both California). Third-tier prizes totaled 218, ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 across 38 states and 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, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Earlier 2025 jackpots included a $112 million win in Ohio on April 18, a $349 million prize in Illinois on March 25 and a $112 million award in Arizona on January 17. The current $680 million estimate places it behind eight larger prizes in Mega Millions history, including the record $1.602 billion won in Florida on August 8, 2023. Other top jackpots: $1.537 billion in South Carolina on October 23, 2018; $1.35 billion in Maine on January 13, 2023; $1.128 billion in New Jersey on March 26, 2024; $1.22 billion in California on December 27, 2024; $877 million in Pennsylvania on February 23, 2024; $810 million in Texas on September 19, 2023; and $790.1 million in California on July 29, 2023. These figures reflect annuity values before taxes.
Mega Millions, operated by a consortium of 45 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands, draws Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time from the Georgia Lottery studio in Atlanta. Players select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 25, or opt for Quick Pick. Odds of winning the jackpot stand at 1 in 302,575,350, while any prize odds are 1 in 24. Matching the Mega Ball alone yields $2, improvable to $10 with Megaplier. The optional $1 add-on, available in most jurisdictions, multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2X to 10X based on a separate drawing.
Winners choosing the annuity receive payments over 30 graduated installments; the lump-sum cash option provides immediate funds but at a reduced amount after federal taxes of 24% and state taxes up to 10.9% in high-tax areas. Unclaimed jackpots roll over, fueling growth like this run’s climb from $20 million post-Virginia to $680 million. Since its 1996 launch as “The Big Game,” Mega Millions has awarded over 2,000 jackpots totaling billions, with proceeds supporting education, infrastructure and other public programs. Ticket prices remain $2, or $3 with Megaplier, sold until 10 p.m. local time on draw days.
Lottery officials encourage responsible play, noting jackpots attract ticket sales spikes — this run has seen millions more entries per drawing. For the October 24 event, expect lines at retailers nationwide. Complete jackpot history and rules detail past trends, such as longer runs yielding higher prizes but more secondary wins. In 2025 alone, four jackpots have exceeded $100 million, underscoring the game’s volatility.