The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $251 million for the Friday, May 15 drawing, with a cash option of $112.3 million. The prize was still waiting for a winner after a player in Ohio last took the jackpot for $60 million on March 17.
That makes Friday night the latest stop in a stretch that began after Mega Millions implemented a slew of changes on April 8, 2025, including a higher ticket price and a multiplier feature. A ticket now costs $5, and the game can increase a non-jackpot prize up to 10 times its original amount.
For anyone checking the Mega Millions numbers, the drawing is held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 24 for the Mega Ball. The game is offered in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but not in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.
The timing matters because the prize is building again while Americans have another major lottery option in play. The Powerball jackpot was at $86 million, with a cash option of $37.8 million, setting up a week in which two national games are drawing attention from players looking at growing top prizes.
The tension in Mega Millions right now is simple: the added features are meant to make the game more appealing, but the bigger ticket price also means every play costs more than it did before the April changes. For players, the question is whether the larger prize pool and the chance at a multiplier are enough to offset the higher price of entry.
By Friday night, the answer to the headline question will be on the board: whether someone matches the numbers and walks away with the $251 million jackpot, or whether the prize keeps rolling toward the next drawing.
