March 11, 2026, 8:47 a.m. ET
One lucky person in Illinois hit the jackpot and won $533 million after the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, March 10.
The lucky winner will be able to take home their prize, which has a cash value of $244.2 million, as a one-time, lump-sum cash payment or receive an immediate payment followed by annual checks, each 5% larger than the previous year.
They are the first person to win the Mega Millions jackpot in 2026, according to Mega Millions. The last jackpot was won on Dec. 2 in New Jersey. Since then, there have been 28 drawings.
Here are more details about the winning ticket and Mega Millions drawings.
The winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions lottery are 16, 21, 30, 35, 65, and the Mega Ball is 7.
Yes, another person in Illinois won the Match 5 prize of $5 million. One person from Maryland also won the Match 5 $4 million prize.
Since someone won the jackpot, it has been reset to $50 million, with a cash value of $22.9 million, ahead of the next drawing.
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday, March 13, at 11 p.m. ET.
Mega Millions is a lottery played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Each ticket costs $5, and players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers − five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball) − or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick.
You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. In the event of multiple jackpot winners, the jackpot prize will be shared.
To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at several locations, including your local convenience store, gas station or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online.
Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24.
If you’re feeling especially unlucky or don’t want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a “Quick Pick“ or an ”Easy Pick.” These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.
Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the “Megaplier.”
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
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