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The Southern Maryland Chronicle
When News Matters, It Matters Where You Get Your News.
ATLANTA — The Mega Millions jackpot swelled to an estimated $900 million for the Tuesday, November 11, 2025, drawing after no ticket matched all six numbers in Friday’s game, organizers announced November 10. The annuity prize ranks as the eighth largest in the game’s history, with a cash option of $415.3 million available to a single winner. Tickets cost $2 each, or $3 with the optional Megaplier for multiplied non-jackpot prizes, and sales close at varying times by state, typically around 10 or 11 p.m. Eastern time.
Players select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 25, or opt for Quick Pick random generation. Odds of winning the grand prize stand at 1 in 302,575,350, reflecting the matrix updated in April 2025 to boost lower-tier payouts while slightly lengthening rolls. Friday’s numbers — white balls 16, 21, 23, 48 and 70, plus Mega Ball 5 — yielded 688,058 winning tickets nationwide, distributing more than $13.8 million in prizes below the jackpot. Sixteen third-tier winners, matching four white balls and the Mega Ball, collected $20,000 to $100,000 depending on their Megaplier: 10 at 2X ($20,000 each in Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Washington and Wisconsin), three at 3X ($30,000 in California, Ohio and South Carolina), two at 5X ($50,000 in Indiana and Pennsylvania), and one at 10X ($100,000 in Georgia).
This run, now 38 drawings without a jackpot winner since a $348 million prize claimed in Virginia on June 27, has generated nearly $288 million in lower prizes across 12.4 million tickets. It includes 17 second-tier wins of $1 million each (five white balls only), enhanced by the Megaplier in eight cases: 2X in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia; 3X in California (two), Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and New York; 4X and 5X both in California. Third-tier totals reached 272 tickets in 40 states and territories, from Arizona to Wyoming, underscoring broad participation.
California prizes vary under pari-mutuel rules, where pools divide among winners, differing from fixed national amounts. The April 2025 overhaul raised non-jackpot payouts across 10 tiers — from $2 for matching the Mega Ball alone to $1 million for five white balls — while introducing the Megaplier up to 10X on select drawings. This change, aimed at more frequent mid-level wins, has distributed $1.2 billion in prizes during the current cycle, per Multi-State Lottery Association data.
The jackpot’s ascent traces to Mega Millions’ format since 2002, operated by 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets fund education, infrastructure and other state programs; for instance, New York’s lottery allocates 100 percent of sales to schools. Federal taxes withhold 24 percent on winnings over $5,000, with state levies adding 4 to 8.82 percent, leaving a $900 million annuity winner with roughly $450 million after taxes, or $250 million on the lump sum.
Among historic peaks, this $900 million trails the record $1.602 billion claimed in Florida on August 8, 2023, by an anonymous trust; $1.128 billion to a New Jersey ticket on March 26, 2024; and $1.269 billion in California on December 27, 2024. Earlier 2025 jackpots included $112 million in Arizona on January 17, $349 million in Illinois on March 25, $112 million in Ohio on April 18, and the Virginia win. The game’s largest ever, $1.602 billion, equated to $794.2 million cash, paid over 30 graduated installments.
Drawings occur Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern from WSB-TV studios in Atlanta, broadcast live on select affiliates. Security measures include randomized ball sets and independent audits by the Multi-State Lottery Association. Winners have 180 days to claim in most states, with identities public except in Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina. Unclaimed prizes revert to the jackpot after six months to a year, depending on jurisdiction.
Ticket volume surges with jackpots over $500 million, often doubling baseline sales of 50 million per drawing. Retailers earn commissions up to 6 percent, plus bonuses for big winners. The April matrix shift, lowering the Mega Ball pool from 1-25 to maintain odds while inflating prizes, has shortened average rolls to 18 drawings from 25 pre-change, increasing revenue for lotteries.
As the prize nears $1 billion — a threshold crossed four times since 2018 — experts anticipate 200 million tickets sold for Tuesday. Past billion-dollar hauls drew international attention, with non-residents buying via trusts. The Virginia winner, for example, opted for cash, netting $163.8 million after taxes. Organizers urge responsible play, with resources like the National Council on Problem Gambling’s helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Mega Millions, launched April 22, 1992, as The Big Game among six states, expanded nationally in 2002. It joined Powerball in fueling a $100 billion annual U.S. lottery market, with jackpots funding $30 billion in state education yearly. Tuesday’s drawing, at the Georgia Lottery’s studio, promises another shot at life-altering odds, with results posted immediately online.
Show your love for Southern Maryland by powering authoritative, in-depth reporting about your community, and keeping access free for neighbors who need it.
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David M. Higgins II is an award-winning journalist passionate about uncovering the truth and telling compelling stories. Born in Baltimore and raised in Southern Maryland, he has lived in several East… More by David M. Higgins II, Publisher/Editor
The Southern Maryland Chronicle(SoMDC) is an all-digital news source for SoMD. We cover all of Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties; along with the Southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s County. SoMDC covers every aspect of the SoMD Region and will continue to grow with the community. SoMDC appreciates all feedback from the community, along with tips, pictures, articles contributed, and support.
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