Mega Millions Rolls Over To $452 Million For Friday’s Drawing (But There’s A ‘But’)

First the good news: Friday’s Mega Millions drawing will be for a tasty (and estimated) $452 million after nobody won Tuesday’s contest.

This will be the 27th drawing since the last jackpot hit, back on March 17, exactly three months ago.

Tuesday’s numbers, for those keeping score at home, were 12, 20, 53, 67, 70, and a gold Mega Ball of 12. Nobody won the jackpot, and nobody even hit all five white balls.

So yes. All in all, good news. Some real life-changing money up top for Friday’s drawing.

The bad news?

The era of the $5 Mega Millions ticket continues to be a disappointment. We’re talking sad-trombone levels of sad.

Why?

Because the last time in the old $2 ticket era that a jackpot wasn’t won for 26 consecutive drawings occurred on Dec. 13, 2024. And that jackpot was worth $695 million.

Womp-womp.

This is not a surprise, as studies have shown the bump in price has not yielded a bump in jackpots. In fact, it has done the exact opposite.

Powering up

Meanwhile, in the land of $2 lottery tickets — a.k.a. Powerball — the jackpot there for Wednesday night’s drawing is sitting at $283 million. 

Nobody won Monday’s drawing — numbers 25, 55, 57, 60, 62, with a red Powerball of 23 — and much like Mega Millions, there were no Match 5 winners.

Tickets for Mega Millions cost $5 and Powerball tickets cost $2. Most states offer the multiplier option for Powerball, which impacts any prize won except the jackpot, for an additional $1. Mega Millions comes with an automatic multiplier for any prize except the jackpot.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.82 billion, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
3. $1.79 billion, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
4. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
5. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
6. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
7. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
8. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
10. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon

Here is the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $834.9 million, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
5. $820.6 million, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
6. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
7. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
9. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
10. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine