Mega Millions Jackpot Grows
Mega Millions Jackpot Climbs to $672 Million for Friday Drawing After No Winner
Anonymous
Key Points
1
The Tuesday, July 14 Mega Millions cash option was $278.0 million, while the upcoming Friday drawing has a $293.3 million cash option and an estimated $672 million jackpot, with the draw scheduled for July 17 at 11 p.m. ET.
2
Megaplier-winning amounts by state: Florida won $2 million (2x megaplier), New Jersey won $3 million (3x), and Georgia won $4 million (4x).
3
Arkansas-specific tax and scholarship context: winnings are taxed by Arkansas at 3.9% state tax, with federal withholding at 24%; the state notes that less than 19% of lottery gross revenues go toward scholarships, with the remainder funding prizes and administration.
4
Mega Millions ticket price and multiplier rule updated: tickets now cost $5 each and can include a multiplier up to 10x; these changes were implemented on April 8, 2025.
No one matched all six Mega Millions numbers on Tuesday, July 14, sending the jackpot rolling to an estimated $672 million for Friday's drawing, according to USA Today/Cincinnati.com. The next draw is set for July 17 at 11 p.m. ET, with a cash option of about $293.3 million.
Three players did walk away with big prizes. A Florida ticket won $2 million, a New Jersey ticket won $3 million, and a Georgia ticket won $4 million — all boosted by the Megaplier option, AOL reported. The winning numbers were 2, 4, 10, 48, and 56, with a Mega Ball of 22.
How Tuesday's Three Big Winners Cashed In
All three winners matched five numbers but missed the Mega Ball. That match normally pays $1 million, but the Megaplier multiplied each prize. Florida used a 2x Megaplier to win $2 million. New Jersey used a 3x to win $3 million. Georgia used a 4x to win $4 million, according to NJ.com.
The $5 ticket price includes the Megaplier option, which can multiply non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times. Mega Millions updated its ticket price and multiplier rules on April 8, 2025, Cincinnati.com noted. The game is sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What a $672M Win Actually Pays After Taxes
The $672 million jackpot can be paid two ways. Winners can take 30 annual payments or a one-time cash prize of about $293.3 million. Most winners choose the cash option, Columbus Dispatch reported.
Taxes take a big bite. The federal government withholds 24% upfront, dropping the cash prize to about $222.9 million. The top federal tax rate of 37% could reduce the final take-home to roughly $184.8 million. State taxes vary — New York adds 10.9%, while Florida has no state income tax at all.
Arkansas Lottery Directs Less Than 19% to Scholarships
For Arkansas players, state tax rules add another layer. The state taxes lottery winnings at 3.9%, on top of the 24% federal withholding. That means Arkansas winners face a combined withholding rate of nearly 28% before the top marginal rates even apply, according to Magnolia Reporter.
Arkansas lottery revenue does fund college scholarships, but less than 19% of gross revenue goes toward that purpose. The rest covers prizes and administrative costs, Magnolia Reporter noted. It is one of the lower scholarship allocation rates among lottery states.
Your Odds: About 1 in 290 Million
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are roughly 1 in 290 million. To put that in perspective, you are far more likely to be struck by lightning. Still, someone will eventually win — the jackpot has been rolling since earlier this spring.
If no one wins Friday, the prize will roll again and grow further. The last time a jackpot climbed this high, it drew record ticket sales in the days before the drawing, NJ.com reported. Friday's drawing at 11 p.m. ET could push the prize even higher — or end the streak entirely.
Sentiment
Mostly PositiveNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
14
Articles
46
Reach
60
A
AnonymousAuthor