Mega Millions winning numbers for March 31 drawing: $80M jackpot
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 climbed ahead of the Tuesday, March 31, drawing, reaching $80 million with a cash value of $35.6 million.
If someone were to get lucky and win the jackpot, they would 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.
The most recent Mega Millions winner was back on March 17, when a player from Ohio took home a $60 million jackpot. According to the Ohio lottery, the ticket was sold in Van Wert, some 100 miles northwest of Columbus, Ohio.
The winner has not come forward to claim their prize and has 180 days to do so.
Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing.
What are the winning Mega Millions numbers for 3/31/2026?
The winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions lottery are 18, 35, 45, 60 and 65. The Mega Ball is 17.
Did anyone win the Mega Millions jackpot?
No one won the Mega Millions jackpot or any of the Match 5 prizes.
When is the next Mega Millions drawing?
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday, April 3, 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.
