Mega Millions Is Up to $800 Million, One of the 10 Biggest Jackpots

Mega Millions has gone 132 days since the jackpot last hit, building up the game’s top prize for Tuesday’s (July 28) drawing to an estimated $800 million.

The July 28 drawing has climbed into Mega Millions’ top 10 all-time jackpots. After 37 consecutive rollovers with no ticket matching all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball, the estimated top prize has grown to the 10th-largest jackpot in the game’s history and the 18th-biggest lottery prize ever offered in the United States.

The one-time cash option for the July 28 drawing is forecasted at $344.2 million. The advertised $800 million prize would be paid out over 29 years.

Top Mega Millions Jackpots

 Amount         Date  Winning Tickets

$1.602 billion 8/8/2023       1-FL

$1.537 billion 10/23/2018   1-SC

$1.348 billion 1/13/2023     1-ME

$1.337 billion 7/29/2022     1-IL

$1.269 billion 12/27/2024   1-CA

$1.128 billion 3/26/2024     1-NJ

$1.050 billion 1/22/2021     1-MI

$983 million     11/14/2025  1-GA

$810 million   9/10/2024     1-TX

$800 million (est.)               7/28/2026   

In the 37 drawings that led up to the $800 million jackpot, Mega Millions says it has paid out almost $252.4 million in prizes, with more than 10.2 million tickets winning a prize. They included 16 second-tier prizes of $1 million or more.

2026 Mega Millions Jackpots

2026 has been a slow year for major Mega Millions wins, as the jackpot has only hit twice.

During the March 10 drawing, a player in Illinois won a $533 million prize. The winner opted to remain anonymous, using the identity “Lucky Lady” to redeem the life-changing prize. Just a week later, “The Happy Trails Trust” won a $60 million Mega Millions jackpot in Ohio.

Mega Millions officials report that it’s only the second time since Mega Millions began in 2002 that there have been only two jackpots awarded through July 24. The first was in 2024, a year that concluded with just four jackpots awarded, the fewest of any year in the game’s history.

Powerball Jackpot

Powerball is also amid a jackpot drought, as the game has gone 36 consecutive drawings without a top-prize hit. The estimated jackpot for tonight’s (July 27) drawing is $633 million, with the cash option at $277.3 million.

During Saturday night’s drawing, six tickets nearly won the jackpot, as they matched all five white balls but missed the red Powerball for $1 million prizes.

The Powerball jackpot has hit five times in 2026, most recently in May when two tickets sold in Florida and Texas split a $20 million jackpot.

The top Powerball jackpot won this year was a $250.8 million prize won by a player in Arkansas during the March 2 drawing.