Fernando Cervantes Jr.USA TODAY
July 17, 2026Updated July 18, 2026, 8:54 a.m. ET
The Mega Millions jackpot has grown ahead of the Friday, July 17, drawing, now reaching $672 million with a cash value of $293.3 million.
If someone were to get lucky on Friday and win the jackpot,they’d 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.
Even though no one took home the jackpot on Tuesday, three people had themselves a good night: winners from Florida, New Jersey, and Georgia took home $2 million, $3 million, and $4 million, respectively. The last time someone won the Mega Millions jackpot was more than three months ago, when a person from Ohio took home $60 million on St. Patrick’s Day.
Here is what you need to know about Friday’s Mega Millions drawing.
What are the winning Mega Millions numbers for 7/17/2026?
The winning numbers for Friday’s Mega Millions lottery drawing are22, 34, 45, 48, and 55. The Mega Ball is 14.
Did anyone win the Mega Millions jackpot?
No one won the Mega Millions jackpot. As a result, the jackpot grows to $707 million.
When is the next Mega Millions drawing?
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, 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 numbered 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_.
