Roaring into March with a hefty payday.
A Mega Millions participant in Illinois gained the $533 million jackpot Tuesday evening, marking the first grand prize that was awarded in 2026.
The profitable numbers have been 16, 21, 30, 35 and 65, plus the gold Mega Ball 7. The location the place the profitable ticket was bought was not disclosed.
The unidentified ticketholder can select between the $533 million prize or a one time $244.2 million money payout.
The fortunate winner has as much as a 12 months to say the grand prize or 60 days for the lump sum, in keeping with the Illinois Lottery.
Another participant in Illinois matched the 5 white balls and a 5x multiplier to win $5 million. A participant in Maryland matched the balls, however with a 4x multiplier for a $4 million payday.
It is the seventeenth time the Mega Millions jackpot has been gained within the Land of Lincoln, placing Illinois sixth in phrases of wins by state behind Michigan’s 18, according to Jackpot.com
Tuesday’s drawing is the first time the Mega Millions jackpot has been gained since an nameless participant in Hudson County, New Jersey, gained the $90 million jackpot on Dec. 2, 2025.
It is the biggest grand prize since one other nameless particular person in Newnan, Georgia, gained the $980 million drawing on Nov. 14, 2025.
It was the biggest lottery winnings for the Peach State and ended the sport’s longest drought between jackpot winners.
Next month, Mega Millions will full its first 12 months working underneath the biggest restructuring within the recreation’s historical past.
The revamp, marketed as “bigger and better,” was created to supply bigger prizes for all non-jackpot tier winners, higher odds to win the jackpot, and a bigger beginning jackpot of $50 million, as a substitute of the unique $20 million.
The odds of hitting a jackpot within the newly revamped recreation are 1 in 290,472,336.
