The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $576 million for the Tuesday, July 7 drawing, setting up another late-night test for ticket buyers watching a prize that has gone untouched since March 17. The cash option sits far lower, at $253.9 million, a reminder that the headline number and the lump-sum choice are not the same thing.
For people checking the CA lottery, the timing matters because Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m., and tickets cost $5 apiece. The game is sold in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and players can pick their own numbers or let the machine generate a Quick Pick.
The last jackpot was won by a lottery player in Ohio, who took home $60 million on March 17. That win reset the climb, but the current total has rebuilt quickly enough to keep attention high, especially with the advertised jackpot now more than double the cash value most winners would actually have to weigh.
That gap is the part many casual players miss. A $576 million jackpot sounds like the same money in another form, but the $253.9 million cash option shows the tradeoff between the full annuity value and what a winner could take immediately. The game also has a multiplier that can increase non-jackpot prizes up to 10 times, though the jackpot itself is excluded from that boost.
Mega Millions changed its format on April 8, 2025, with players now choosing five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 24. A ticket can still win at least $10 for matching just the Mega Ball, while matching all five white balls pays at least $2 million except in California. The next drawing comes Friday at 11 p.m., and that is where the jackpot’s next number will be decided.
For now, the story is straightforward: a larger prize, a much smaller cash choice, and another drawing only days away. Unless someone hits it on Friday, the number will keep growing and the gap between the advertised jackpot and the cash option will keep pulling more eyes to the board.
