Updated May 1, 2026, 11:12 p.m. ET
The Mega Millions jackpot continues to rise ahead of the Friday, May 1, drawing, now reaching $178 million with a cash value of $79.6 million.
If someone were to get lucky on Friday and win the jackpot, they’ll 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.
Friday’s drawing only comes two days after two lucky people won the $143 million Powerball jackpot on April 29. But those two were not the only ones, as nearly 90 other players from other states took prizes ranging from $1 to $2 million.
Here’s what you need to know about Friday’s Mega Millions drawing, including the winning numbers.
What are the winning Mega Millions numbers for 5/1/2026?
The winning numbers for Friday’s Mega Millions lottery are 16, 21, 27, 41 and 61. The Mega Ball is 24.
When is the next Mega Millions drawing?
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 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 with numbers 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_.