The lottery frenzy is spiking. The Mega Millions grand prize is growing quickly, now exceeding half a billion, and is the ninth-largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time.
Some players are hoping a $5 Mega Millions ticket will make them a multimillionaire. Because as they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”
After no one matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Tuesday, Oct. 14, Mega Millions drawing for $600 million, the jackpot jumped to $625 million with a cash option of $288.8 million for the drawing on Friday, Oct. 17.
Although no one claimed the jackpot, there were two big winners in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing. A ticket purchased in Texas and another in Arizona matched 5 plus the 2X Multiplier for $2 million prizes.
The winning numbers for the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, Oct. 17, were 9-21-27-48-56 and the Mega Ball was 10.
Mega Millions tickets start at $5 apiece. Below are some frequently asked questions about the game, when winning tickets expire in Florida (it differs state by state) and lottery odds. Good luck!
Mega Millions lottery drawings are at 11 p.m. ET every Tuesday and Friday, including holidays. The winning numbers for the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, Oct. 17, were 9-21-27-48-56 and the Mega Ball was 10.
In case you’re wondering, the winning numbers for the drawing on Tuesday, Oct. 14, were 12-22-49-57-58 and the Mega Ball was 19.
The next Mega Millions lottery drawing will be at 11 p.m. ET Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
The Mega Millions jackpot was last won on Friday, June 27, 2025, when a ticket in Virginia matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball to win a $348 million prize.
Below is a recap of lottery drawings for the latest streak.
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
The odds of winning are pretty low. According to the Mega Millions site, players have a 1 in 290,472,336 chance to match all five white balls plus the gold Mega Ball.
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
As of Oct. 17, 2025, these are the largest Mega Millions prizes in the history of the game, according to megamillions.com.
As of Oct. 17, 2025, there have been 13 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. These are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
(This story was updated to include new information.)