The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing was estimated at $277 million, with a cash option of $120.4 million, as players waited to see whether anyone would match the numbers in the latest california lottery-linked game. No jackpot winner was reported for the May 19 drawing.
The jackpot had last been won on March 17, when a player in Ohio took home $60 million. That set up another large prize pool for the 11 p.m. drawing on Tuesday, with the game now carrying a $5 ticket price after changes that took effect on April 8, 2025.
Mega Millions is played twice a week, with drawings 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. Matching just the Mega Ball wins at least $10, and matching all five white balls wins a minimum of $2 million, except in California.
The game also includes a multiplier that can raise most non-jackpot prizes by as much as 10 times the original amount. Mega Millions is sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but not in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah. Tickets are available in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores, and some airport terminals also sell them. Jackpocket offers online ticket ordering in a list of states and jurisdictions that includes Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C.
The combination of a higher ticket price, a larger top prize and a built-in multiplier is the most visible sign of the game’s overhaul so far. For players, the next check comes Friday at 11 p.m., when Mega Millions draws again and the jackpot will either keep growing or finally pay out.
