The Mega Millions jackpot has officially reached half a billion dollars ahead of the next drawing. With only two jackpot wins in 2026 so far, the game promises to completely change the life of the eventual winner of its third jackpot for the year.
The Jackpot Reached a Major Milestone
The Friday Mega Millions drawing was business as usual – a few mid-tier prizes won here and there and no jackpot wins. What made the Friday drawing special, however, is that it finally allowed the Mega Millions jackpot to surpass half a billion dollars. The game’s top prize is currently standing at some $511 million with a cash option of $231 million.
The fate of this mouth-watering sum could be decided tomorrow, at 11 pm ET, when the next Mega Millions drawing is set to take place.
As mentioned, the Mega Millions jackpot has been won only two times in 2026, making many players optimistic about the chances of a new win happening now.
One Player Won $100,000
In the meantime, the Friday drawing saw Mega Millions enthusiasts compete for a top prize of $489 million with a cash option of $220.9 million. In order to win, players had to correctly guess all six winning numbers, which were 5, 13, 30, 33, and 52, plus the gold Mega Ball 6.
In addition to no one winning the jackpot, there were no Match 5 prizes either. For reference, Match 5 prizes in Mega Millions vary between $2 million and $10 million, depending on players’ multipliers.
At the same time, there were a few players who matched four white numbers and the Mega Ball in order to win the game’s third-tier prize. Four such players secured prizes of $20,000 each. In the meantime, two players won $40,000 each due to their 4x multiplier. Additionally, one very lucky player secured a $100,000 payout on a 10x multiplier.