Lottery
The Mega Millions jackpot was estimated at $395 million for the Tuesday, February 17, 2026 drawing, with a cash option of $183.3 million. If you picked up a ticket, this is the moment to double-check every line, because even the “small” prizes can be meaningful—and the big one changes everything.
Mega Millions winning numbers for Feb. 17, 2026:
Tuesday night’s winning numbers were 3, 37, 44, 52, 63, and the Mega Ball was 14.
Megaplier 1X
Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. ET.
Tonight’s jackpot and the cash option
The headline prize is the annuity figure—designed to be paid over many years—while the cash option is the lump sum available right away. For this drawing, the advertised jackpot of $395 million translates to a cash option of $183.3 million before taxes.
The jackpot was last won when a New Jersey player landed a $90 million Mega Millions prize on December 2, resetting the top prize and beginning the climb back toward the kind of number that turns up on morning news chyrons and office group chats.
How to play Mega Millions
A standard Mega Millions play is built from two sets of numbers. You select five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls, and then select one number from 1 to 24 for the Mega Ball. If you’d rather not choose, a Quick Pick can generate numbers for you.
The game’s current ticket format includes a built-in multiplier for non-jackpot prizes, allowing certain wins to be boosted up to 10x (the jackpot itself is not multiplied). The current ticket price is $5.
What you can win without hitting the jackpot
Mega Millions has multiple prize tiers, so the goal isn’t always “all six.” You can win by matching the Mega Ball alone, and larger prizes begin stacking as more white balls match. Short of the jackpot, matching all five white balls (without the Mega Ball) is a major hit, with a base prize that can be worth millions depending on state rules and multiplier outcomes.
The long-shot reality remains: the odds of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot are 290,472,336-to-1. That’s why it’s best treated as a bit of fun—an occasional ticket, a small ritual, a hopeful moment—rather than a plan.
Where you can buy tickets and when sales close
Mega Millions is available in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are commonly sold at gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores. In some states, online ordering through approved digital couriers may be available, depending on local rules.
Ticket purchase deadlines vary by state, and sales typically close anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour before the drawing. If you’re buying through an app, the cutoff can be earlier than in-store sales—so it pays to avoid the last-minute rush.
Powerball is also climbing this week
If you’re tracking the other major U.S. jackpot, Powerball’s top prize was listed at $169 million with a cash option of $79.2 million around the same time. If you’re comparing results across games, you can also review the latest numbers and jackpot context in our update: Powerball winning numbers and jackpot recap.
Cash option vs annuity, in plain terms
The annuity option is paid over time, typically starting with an initial payment followed by annual payments that rise gradually. The cash option is lower than the headline jackpot because it represents the estimated present value of the annuity—paid as a single lump sum.
Which one is “better” depends on personal circumstances, taxes, and long-term planning. But for most people scanning results late at night, the first step is simpler: confirm the numbers, confirm the date, confirm the prize tier, and sign the back of the ticket if you have a winning match.
For the official update and full details tied to this specific drawing, see the reporting from NorthJersey.com’s Mega Millions Feb. 17, 2026 results coverage.
