A single ticket sold in Illinois matched all six numbers in the March 10, 2026, draw to win the $533 million Mega Millions jackpot. The winning numbers were 16, 21, 30, 35, 65, and the gold Mega Ball 7. This represents the first Mega Millions jackpot won in 2026.
The ticket holder has the option to claim the prize as 30 annual payments averaging $17.7 million or a one-time lump sum cash payout of $244.2 million.
Mandatory 24% federal tax withholding and an expected top marginal rate of 37% reduce the cash prize to approximately $153.8 million. The annuity option yields annual payouts of $11.15 million after federal taxes. Illinois applies an additional 4.95% state income tax withholding on lottery winnings.
The jackpot rolled over across multiple draws starting December 2, 2025, following a $90 million win in New Jersey. That December 2025 win in New Jersey followed a sequence where the Mega Millions jackpot hit $983 million before a Georgia ticket claimed the prize on November 14, 2025.
The winning ticket overcame 1-in-290.4 million odds. These odds were established during an April 2025 game update that increased ticket prices from $2 to $5 to fund larger starting jackpots.
The all-time record for the largest Mega Millions jackpot is the $1.602 billion prize claimed by a single ticket in Florida on August 8, 2023. Illinois previously recorded a $1.337 billion single-ticket winner in July 2022. This March 10, 2026, win marks the 17th Mega Millions jackpot victory in Illinois history.