The Mega Millions jackpot stands at an estimated $754 million annuity, or $352.8 million cash option, for the Friday, October 31, 2025, drawing after no ticket matched all six numbers in Tuesday’s contest. That game drew white balls 2, 19, 33, 53 and 61, plus Mega Ball 14, producing 502,089 winning tickets nationwide and total prizes of nearly $10.1 million across all levels. Eight tickets claimed the third-tier prize of four white balls plus the Mega Ball, boosted by the Megaplier: three at 2X for $20,000 each in Illinois, South Carolina and Texas; three at 3X for $30,000 each in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Texas; and two at 4X for $40,000 each in Massachusetts and New York.
This drawing marks the seventh Halloween jackpot in Mega Millions history since the game launched in 2002, and the largest ever offered on October 31 at $754 million. Previous October 31 drawings occurred in 2002, 2005, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021, but none produced a jackpot winner. The prize has rolled over since June 27, 2025, when a $348 million annuity went to an anonymous player in Virginia on a ticket bought in Burgess. That run spans 35 drawings, generating more than 10.5 million winning tickets worth almost $251 million.
Among those, 17 second-tier prizes of $1 million each benefited from the Megaplier: eight at 2X in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia; seven at 3X in California (two), Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and New York; and one each at 4X and 5X, both in California.
An additional 238 third-tier prizes, valued from $20,000 to $100,000 with multipliers, distributed across 38 jurisdictions including 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.
Other 2025 jackpots included $112 million on April 18 in Ohio, $349 million on March 25 in Illinois and $112 million on January 17 in Arizona. The current pot ranks ninth all-time, trailing records like the $1.602 billion in August 2023 split in Florida.
Tickets cost $5 each and include the Megaplier, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes from 2X to 10X. Players select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 24, or opt for Quick Pick. Drawings occur at 11 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesdays and Fridays from the Georgia Lottery studio in Dunwoody, broadcast on local stations and online at megamillions.com. Odds of winning the jackpot stand at 1 in 302,575,350, while any prize odds are 1 in 23. Prize structure includes $1 million for five white balls; $10,000 for four white balls; $500 for three white balls plus Mega Ball; $200 for two white balls plus Mega Ball; $10 for one white ball plus Mega Ball; and $5 for the Mega Ball alone, all eligible for Megaplier boosts.
Prizes over $5,000 face 24 percent federal withholding at claim, with total federal taxes reaching up to 37 percent based on income brackets, as lottery winnings count as ordinary income. State taxes vary: zero in California, Florida and Texas; up to 10.9 percent in New York. Nonresidents face 30 percent federal withholding. Winners choose annuity payments over 30 years or the lump-sum cash, with the former subject to annual taxation. Claims require the original ticket, signed on the back, and must occur within 180 days; unclaimed prizes return to the prize pool.
The Multi-State Lottery Association, formed in 1988, operates Mega Millions across 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ticket sales fund 60 percent of prizes, with the rest supporting state programs like education. Annual revenue exceeds $1.6 billion, contributing to national lottery totals of $100 billion. The game evolved from a $1 million minimum in 1996 to $40 million starts in 2017, alongside the $2-to-$5 price hike, boosting average jackpots by 50 percent.
Mega Millions has awarded 11 jackpots exceeding $1 billion since 2018, including the record $1.602 billion in 2023. Smaller wins occur frequently: the October 28 drawing alone paid out to hundreds of thousands. Groups must register claims in advance to divide shares, avoiding disputes under state rules. Security features like holograms and watermarks prevent fraud, with validation at lottery headquarters for jackpots.
As sales peak with rollovers—up 70 percent for large pots—experts advise responsible play, noting the 50-cent house edge per dollar. Resources like 1-800-GAMBLER promote limits. Friday’s drawing closes sales at 10:59 p.m. local time, with advance options for multiple games. Results post immediately online, fueling the next cycle if no winner emerges.
