Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing, held on April 24, 2026, ended with a familiar result for lottery hopefuls across the United States—no one managed to claim the massive $150 million jackpot. The winning numbers—7, 16, 32, 35, and 40, with the gold Mega Ball 12—were revealed at 11 p.m., but as the dust settled, it became clear that not a single ticket matched all six numbers. According to Detroit Free Press and other outlets, this means the jackpot rolls over once again, swelling to an estimated $163 million for the next drawing, scheduled for Tuesday, April 28.
The Mega Millions lottery, a fixture in American gaming since its inception, continues to captivate millions with the promise of life-changing wealth. The game is legal in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, making it one of the most widely played lotteries in the nation. With its twice-weekly drawings—every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.—the anticipation builds steadily as each jackpot grows larger with every rollover.
Friday’s drawing was no exception. The $150 million prize, which also offered a cash option of $67.3 million, drew in hopefuls from coast to coast. Yet, as reported by Detroit Free Press, no player managed to match the five white balls and the Mega Ball required to claim the top prize. The numbers 7, 16, 32, 35, and 40, with Mega Ball 12, simply didn’t align for anyone this round.
For those eager to try their luck, the process is straightforward. A Mega Millions ticket costs $5, and players select five numbers from a pool of 1 to 70 (the white balls), plus one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball). There’s also the option to let fate decide with the Easy Pick or Quick Pick feature, which generates random numbers automatically. In Michigan, one of the many participating states, tickets can be purchased both in-store and online until 10:45 p.m. on the night of the draw—just fifteen minutes before the numbers are called.
This year, Mega Millions introduced a new twist by retiring its old Megaplier feature and replacing it with a built-in multiplier. Now, every ticket is automatically assigned a multiplier at the time of purchase, boosting non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or even ten times. This change, as explained on the Mega Millions website, aims to keep the excitement high even for those who don’t snag the top prize. For example, matching five white balls without the Mega Ball can now net winners between $2 million and $10 million, depending on the multiplier drawn.
The full prize structure is designed to reward a range of lucky combinations. If a player matches four white balls and the Mega Ball, the prize can range from $20,000 to $100,000. Even matching just the Mega Ball alone can yield a payout of $10 to $50, thanks to the multiplier. The odds, however, remain daunting: the chance of hitting the jackpot by matching all five white balls and the Mega Ball stands at a staggering 1 in 290,472,336. Yet, as history has shown, someone eventually beats the odds—just not this past Friday.
For those who do strike it rich, there’s another important decision to make: how to receive the winnings. According to the Mega Millions website, jackpot winners can choose between a lump-sum cash option—equal to the entire prize pool at the time of the win—or an annuity. The annuity pays out over 30 years, starting with an immediate payment and followed by 29 annual installments. Each payment grows by 5% over the previous year, a feature designed to help winners maintain their lifestyle and purchasing power, even during inflationary periods. As the site puts it, “This helps protect winners’ lifestyle and purchasing power in periods of inflation.”
If more than one person wins the jackpot in a single drawing, the prize is divided equally among all winning tickets. This system ensures fairness, but it also means that the dream of a sole winner walking away with the entire sum is just that—a dream—unless luck truly smiles on a single ticket.
Finding out if you’ve won is easier than ever. Mega Millions drawings are broadcast live on YouTube, and the winning numbers are promptly posted on both the official Mega Millions website and the Michigan Lottery site. This transparency is part of what keeps players coming back, week after week, despite the long odds.
With the jackpot now growing to at least $163 million for the next drawing, the excitement is sure to build. The game’s broad reach—spanning nearly every state, the nation’s capital, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—means that millions will be tuning in or checking their numbers online come Tuesday night. As always, tickets in Michigan will be available until 10:45 p.m. on the night of the draw, giving last-minute dreamers one final shot at fortune.
For those new to the game, Mega Millions is more than just a shot at riches; it’s a cultural phenomenon. The lottery’s twice-weekly ritual brings together people from all walks of life, united by the hope—however slim—that their numbers will come up. The odds may be long, but as every winner knows, it only takes one lucky ticket.
As the jackpot climbs higher, the stakes grow, and so does the sense of anticipation. Whether you’re a regular player or someone who only buys a ticket when the prize reaches eye-popping levels, Mega Millions continues to offer a tantalizing blend of hope, excitement, and the possibility of a life forever changed. With the next drawing just days away and a jackpot that’s now even bigger, all eyes will be on those six little numbers once again.
For now, the Mega Millions jackpot remains unclaimed, the dream still alive for millions. As Tuesday’s drawing approaches, the only certainty is that someone, somewhere, will be holding their breath, ticket in hand, hoping against the odds that this time, fortune will finally favor them.