"Mega Millions jackpot now exceeds $500 million for the upcoming draw"

The Mega Millions jackpot has once again soared past an astonishing $500 million, as it remained unclaimed in the latest drawing, allowing the prize to continue growing.

On Friday, the Mega Millions had an enticing jackpot of approximately $489 million up for grabs. Even though the cash option was smaller, it still promised a staggering life-changing payout of $220.9 million. The winning numbers drawn were 5, 13, 30, 33, 52, and the gold Mega Ball number 6. Despite a flurry of hopeful participants, nobody matched all the numbers to claim the top prize. Interestingly, no one even hit the second-tier prize by matching the five white balls, which would have rewarded them with $2 million to $10 million. As a result, the jackpot has now grown to an estimated $511 million for the next drawing on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 11 PM ET. If someone successfully matches all the numbers then and opts for the cash payout, they'll receive about $231 million before taxes.

The Mega Millions jackpot was last claimed in early March this year. On March 10, 2026, one incredibly lucky player from Illinois hit the jackpot, winning a massive $536 million. This was the first Mega Millions jackpot win for 2026 and marked the second-largest prize ever won by an online lottery player in the U.S. at that time. The lucky winner didn’t hesitate to claim their windfall. Less than two weeks after the drawing, the player, who decided to remain anonymous but used the nickname Lucky Lady, collected the jackpot. As the Mega Millions top prize continues to grow, it's now the second time in 2026 that the jackpot has exceeded $500 million.