The Mega Millions jackpot surged to an estimated $965 million for Friday’s drawing after no ticket matched all six numbers in Tuesday’s contest, marking the eighth time the prize has approached the billion-dollar mark since the game’s inception in 2002. The winning numbers drawn November 11 were the white balls 10, 13, 40, 42 and 46, along with the gold Mega Ball 1. With a cash option of $445.3 million, the prize now ranks as the eighth largest in the game’s history, trailing only seven prior billion-dollar jackpots, including the most recent $1.269 billion award claimed in California on December 27, 2024.
This drawing represents the 40th consecutive without a jackpot winner, a record for the game, following the last top prize of $348 million claimed in Virginia on June 27. Maryland players contributed to the excitement with 17,523 winning tickets across all prize levels, claiming more than $1.2 million in total payouts from the November 11 drawing, according to state lottery records.
Nationwide, 809,030 tickets secured prizes totaling over $27.9 million. Three second-tier winners matched the five white balls: one in Arizona with the 5X multiplier for $5 million, and one each in Iowa and New York with the 3X multiplier for $3 million apiece. In the third tier, 27 tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball, with prizes ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 depending on the multiplier. Maryland accounted for two of those, both with the 2X multiplier for $20,000 each, sold at a retailer in Howard County.
Lower tiers saw broader participation in the state. Five Maryland tickets hit four white balls for $500 each, while 36 claimed $200 for three white balls plus the Mega Ball. Hundreds more picked up smaller amounts: 682 for $10 on three white balls, 670 for $10 on two white balls plus the Mega Ball, 4,588 for $7 on one white ball plus the Mega Ball, and 11,540 for $5 on just the Mega Ball. These figures reflect Maryland’s pari-mutuel adjustments, where prizes can vary slightly based on ticket sales and claims.
The extended run underscores the game’s appeal amid prize enhancements introduced last April, which boosted non-jackpot awards by up to five times in some cases through an optional multiplier feature. Across the 39 prior drawings in this streak, nearly 13.2 million tickets have won prizes totaling almost $316 million nationwide. That includes 20 second-tier hits of up to $5 million and 299 third-tier wins from $20,000 to $100,000, spread across 40 jurisdictions. Maryland has seen its share, with third-tier prizes in this run claimed in the state alongside winners in Arizona through Wyoming.
This year’s jackpot cycle began after earlier wins: $112 million in Arizona on January 17, $349 million in Illinois on March 25, $112 million in Ohio on April 18, and the Virginia haul in June. The April matrix change—not altering the jackpot odds but amplifying lower prizes—has sustained player interest, contributing to the prolonged buildup. California prizes, noted for their pari-mutuel system, deviated from standard amounts in this drawing, with 11 third-tier wins there alone across multipliers.
