The Mega Millions jackpot has reached an estimated $714 million for the Tuesday, October 28, 2025, drawing, with a cash option of $334.1 million, after no ticket matched all six numbers in Friday’s drawing. The winning numbers were white balls 11, 18, 31, 51 and 56, along with Mega Ball 24. This marks the ninth time the top prize has exceeded $700 million since the game began in 1996.
The jackpot has rolled over since its last payout of $348 million in Virginia on June 27, 2025. Friday’s drawing produced 482,430 winning tickets across all prize levels, totaling more than $11.7 million in payouts nationwide. One ticket in Connecticut matched the five white balls for the second-tier prize, increased to $2 million with the 2X multiplier. Twelve tickets won third-tier prizes for four white balls plus the Mega Ball, ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 based on the multiplier: seven at $20,000 with 2X, two at $30,000 with 3X, one at $40,000 with 4X and two at $50,000 with 5X. Prizes in California vary due to the state’s pari-mutuel system, which adjusts amounts based on sales and claims.
Over the 34 drawings in this jackpot cycle, more than 10 million tickets have won prizes worth over $240.9 million. This includes 17 second-tier winners: eight with the 2X multiplier for $1 million each, seven with 3X for $1.5 million and one each with 4X and 5X for $2 million and $2.5 million. The 230 third-tier prizes, valued from $20,000 to $100,000, were claimed in 38 jurisdictions, spanning states from Arizona to Wisconsin.
A win on Tuesday would rank as the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot claimed in October. The record October prize was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on October 23, 2018, which remains the second-largest in game history overall. Other jackpots awarded in 2025 include $112 million in Ohio on April 18, $349 million in Illinois on March 25 and another $112 million in Arizona on January 17.
Mega Millions drawings occur Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time from the Georgia Lottery headquarters in Atlanta. Players choose five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one from 1 to 25 for the Mega Ball, or use Quick Pick for random selection. Tickets cost $5, incorporating a multiplier from 2X to 10X that applies to non-jackpot prizes and can boost winnings up to $10 million. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, while any prize carries odds of 1 in 24.
The game, operated by the Multi-State Lottery Association since 1996, involves 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. April 2025 updates expanded the white ball pool slightly and added the built-in multiplier to enhance smaller prizes and sustain large jackpots. These changes, approved by member lotteries, have contributed to longer rolls and higher peaks.
In the current cycle, multipliers have elevated 25 second- and third-tier prizes, demonstrating their impact on payouts. Overall, about 24 percent of tickets win some amount, from $2 for matching the Mega Ball alone to the headline jackpot. Winners of prizes over $600 must claim at state lottery offices, with jackpots requiring a visit within 180 days. Options include a 30-year annuity or the lump-sum cash value, subject to federal withholding of 24 percent and state taxes varying by jurisdiction.
The association reports that Mega Millions has awarded more than $26 billion in jackpots since inception, with proceeds funding public education, infrastructure and other state programs. In fiscal 2024, member lotteries generated $112 billion in sales, supporting over $30 billion in beneficiary contributions. The game’s popularity surges during big jackpots, as seen in this run’s escalation from $20 million starting point.
Historical context shows jackpots growing through unclaimed drawings, with the largest ever at $1.602 billion in Florida on August 8, 2023. The October 2018 win, claimed anonymously, sparked widespread media coverage and inspired temporary sales booms. Subsequent billion-dollar prizes in 2018, 2020 and 2023 underscore the game’s evolution from a $1-per-ticket format to its current structure.
Players are encouraged to check tickets promptly, as unclaimed prizes revert to future jackpots or state funds after set periods. The association promotes responsible gaming through resources like national helplines and self-exclusion tools. For the October 28 drawing, sales close at 10 p.m. in most states, with results posted online shortly after.
This jackpot’s trajectory highlights the lottery’s role in creating multimillionaire stories while distributing smaller wins widely. As it approaches potential record territory, anticipation builds for the next set of numbers.
