Mega Millions winning numbers as jackpot hits $296M for May 22 drawing
See which states are the luckiest in the lottery
USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes shares which states have claimed the most Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots wins.
The Mega Millions jackpot continues to rise ahead of the Friday, May 22 drawing, now reaching $296 million with a cash value of $128.6 million.
It has now been more than two months since the last time someone won the Mega Millions jackpot. The last time it happened was on St. Patrick’s Day when an Ohio player won $60 million.
If someone were to get lucky and win Friday’s jackpot, they’ll have two options: take home a one-time, lump-sum cash payment or receive an immediate payment followed by annual checks, each 5% larger than the previous year.
With the Mega Millions drawing only hours away, here is what you need to know.
What are the winning Mega Millions numbers for 5/22/2026?
USA TODAY will post the winning numbers for the Friday, May 22, Mega Millions lottery after the drawing at 11 p.m. ET
When is the next Mega Millions drawing?
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 11 p.m. ET.
Top 10 Mega Millions Jackpots
- $1.602 billion on Aug. 8, 2023 in Florida
- $1.537 billion on Oct. 23, 2018 in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion on Jan. 1, 2023 in Maine
- $1.337 billion on July 29, 2022 in Illinois
- $1.269 billion on Dec. 27, 2024 in California
- $1.128 billion on Mar. 26, 2024 in New Jersey
- $1.05 billion on Jan 22, 2021 in Michigan
- $983 million on Nov. 14, 2025 in Georgia
- $810 million on Sept. 10, 2024 in Texas
- $656 million on March 30, 2012 in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
What is Mega Millions?
Mega Millions is a lottery played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Each ticket costs $5, and players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers – five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball) – or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick.
You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. In the event of multiple jackpot winners, the jackpot prize will be shared.
How to play the Mega Millions
To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at several locations, including your local convenience store, gas station or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online.
Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24.
If you’re feeling especially unlucky or don’t want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a “Quick Pick“ or an ”Easy Pick.” These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.
Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the “Megaplier.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This content is sourced from www.usatoday.com and is shared for informational purposes only.
