Check out the luckiest states in the lottery
USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes takes a look at the states with the most Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots.
Mega Millions is back at $215 million with $95.2 million in cash at stake as the Friday, May 8th lottery drawing approaches.
One winning ticket can trigger a big decision. You can pay a lump sum upfront or lock in payments for 30 years that increase by 5% each year. The jump in jackpots comes after big wins earlier this year, including a $60 million prize in Ohio and a $533 million jackpot in Illinois.
With Friday’s Mega Millions drawing just hours away, here’s what you need to know.
What are the winning Mega Millions numbers for May 8, 2026?
USA TODAY will publish the winning numbers for Friday’s Mega Millions lottery after the drawing at 11pm ET.
When is the next Mega Millions drawing?
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12th at 11:00 PM ET.
Top 10 Mega Millions Jackpots
- $1.602 billion in Florida on August 8, 2023
- $1.537 billion in South Carolina on October 23, 2018
- $1.348 billion on January 1, 2023 in Maine
- July 29, 2022, $1.337 billion in Illinois
- December 27, 2024, $1.269 billion in California
- $1.128 billion in New Jersey on March 26, 2024
- $1.05 billion in Michigan on January 22, 2021
- $983 million in Georgia on November 14, 2025
- $810 million in Texas on September 10, 2024
- March 30, 2012, $656 million in Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland
What is Mega Millions?
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game played in 45 states, Washington DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and is known for jackpots that can soar into the hundreds of millions.
Tickets cost $5. Players can select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 24, or use Quick Pick/Easy Pick to let the lottery randomly select numbers. Match all 6 numbers to win the jackpot. If multiple tickets are won, the prize will be shared.
How to play Mega Millions
To play Mega Millions, purchase tickets online through a convenience store, gas station, grocery store, or, in some states, an official lottery retailer.
Players choose six numbers. Five white balls numbered 1-70 and one golden mega ball numbered 1-24. Don’t want to choose? Select (Quick Pick) or (Easy Pick) and a number will be randomly generated.
All tickets have built-in multipliers that increase non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x. Multipliers are automatically applied and included in the ticket price, replacing the previous add-on megaplier.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
