The Mega Millions jackpot is back on the radar for Tuesday night’s draw, with the prize climbing to an estimated $60 million and a cash option of $27.1 million. The top prize reset after the massive Illinois win on March 10, but interest remains high as players look ahead to the next drawing and another chance at a life-changing payout.
There was no jackpot winner in the most recent drawing, although the game still produced a notable batch of second-tier winners. That near-miss result has pushed the jackpot forward again, keeping attention firmly on the Tuesday, March 17 drawing.
Mega Millions numbers last night, March 17, 2026: Mega Millions drawing jackpot results
Tuesday night’s winning numbers were 4, 11, 18, 38, 50, and the Mega Ball was 24.
The annuitized jackpot stands at $60 million, while the lump-sum cash value is listed at $27.1 million. For many players, that cash figure is often the most closely watched number because it reflects the immediate payout option before taxes.
Latest winning numbers from the previous Mega Millions drawing
The winning numbers from the Friday, March 13 draw were 6, 19, 36, 40, 55, and the Mega Ball was 9. No ticket matched all six numbers to land the jackpot, but the drawing still created excitement with multiple Match 5 winners in different states.
That result followed the much bigger headline from Tuesday, March 10, when a ticket sold in Illinois won an estimated $533 million jackpot. That win reset the prize pool and started the current run toward Tuesday night’s $60 million drawing.
No jackpot winner last time, but several players came close
Although the March 13 draw did not produce a jackpot winner, there were 12 Match 5 winners in Pennsylvania and Florida. Those tickets matched the five white balls but missed the Mega Ball, leaving the top prize untouched while still delivering major payouts below the jackpot tier.
Near-miss stories like these tend to keep interest elevated, especially right after a huge jackpot has been won and the game starts building again from its reset level.
Prize structure gives players more than one way to win
Mega Millions is structured with several prize tiers, so a ticket does not need to hit the jackpot to return a payout. A player can win a prize by matching the Mega Ball alone, which delivers a base prize. Matching one white ball plus the Mega Ball produces a larger return, while matching additional numbers increases the prize further.
Two numbers by themselves do not produce a payout unless one of those numbers is the Mega Ball. That prize structure is one reason the game remains popular even when jackpots are lower than the record-setting runs that usually dominate headlines.
Complete prize details and game rules are available through the official Mega Millions website.
Ticket price and draw schedule remain key details for players
A Mega Millions ticket currently costs $5, with built-in multipliers for non-jackpot prizes. Players can also add the Megaplier for an extra $1 to increase certain non-jackpot winnings, though it does not apply to the jackpot itself.
Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at approximately 11 p.m. ET. That twice-weekly schedule keeps the game in regular rotation and gives the jackpot multiple chances each week either to be claimed or to keep growing.
Recent Mega Millions winners show how quickly the game can change
The current $60 million prize comes just days after one of the biggest lottery stories of the year. The March 10, 2026 drawing produced a $533 million jackpot winner in Illinois, ending the previous run and resetting the grand prize. Before that, Mega Millions had already produced headline-making wins in New Jersey, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, Arizona, California, Texas, and Illinois across 2024, 2025, and early 2026.
That recent history is part of what keeps the game in the spotlight. Even after a huge payout is claimed, another cycle begins immediately, and players start watching for the next moment when a modest jackpot turns into a national story.
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