News writer
The Massachusetts Lottery might be setting off more than fireworks this Fourth of July weekend. In the game's 44-year history, the Megabucks jackpot has never grown this big. After another drawing passed without a jackpot winner, the prize now climbs to an estimated $22.25 million for Saturday night's holiday drawing. Not only is the jackpot setting a new all-time high, but if one lucky ticket wins it all, that player would also become the biggest solo jackpot winner in Megabucks' history.
A new record jackpot
The Megabucks jackpot has reached a historic high. Heading into the Wednesday, July 1, 2026, drawing, the jackpot had climbed to $21.6 million, the second-highest jackpot in the draw game's history.
The drawing was held on Wednesday, and no tickets matched all of the winning numbers drawn (9, 15, 16, 24, 35, and 40). Four tickets matched 5 of the 6 winning numbers to take home the $5,000 prize, but one ball away from that $21.6 million payday.
With no jackpot winner on Wednesday, the jackpot rose to an estimated $22.25 million. The next drawing will take place on America's 250th anniversary with the Saturday, July 4, 2026, drawing. This will be the biggest jackpot in the game's history.
In a press release, Mark William Bracken, Executive Director of the Mass Lottery, said:
It's an exciting day when a forty-plus-year record is broken, and knowing that any jackpot-winning Megabucks ticket will be sold right here in Massachusetts makes it even better. We also want to remind people to keep the experience of playing the Lottery enjoyable by playing responsibly and within their means.
Record-breaking jackpot run
The Megabucks jackpot was last hit on April 21, 2025, when a ticket purchased in Hyde Park won the $1.97 million jackpot. That means we have gone over a year without a winner (187 drawings to be exact). Will drawing #188 be the lucky drawing?
Besides being the biggest Megabucks jackpot ever, we could break some other records depending on who wins. Yes, the previous biggest jackpot was $21.7 million, which was split among eight winning tickets on October 15, 1985.
We have also seen jackpots worth $21.15 million in January 1986 and $18.22 million in March 1984. Both those jackpots were also won by multiple tickets.
The largest jackpot won on a single ticket in Megabucks history is $16.35 million, which was won on September 10, 2022, by a ticket purchased in Ware. That means if the eventual winner of this Megabucks jackpot ends up being one lucky ticketholder, then we would also have the biggest single-ticket jackpot winner in the game's history.
Top 10 Megabucks jackpots
All this talk of this being the biggest Megabucks jackpot of all time, let's take a look at the ten biggest jackpots since the Massachusetts draw game debuted in 1982:
- $22.25 million – July 4, 2026
- $21.71 million – October 16, 1985
- $21.15 million – January 8, 1986
- $18.22 million – March 10, 1984
- $16.35 million – September 10, 2022
- $15.62 million – July 14, 1984
- $15.21 million – July 8, 1987
- $14.63 million – May 29, 1985
- $14.26 million – November 18, 2000
- $13.86 million – October 6, 1990
Megabucks tickets are $2 each and are only available for purchase in Massachusetts. You have until 9 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing to purchase tickets. Megabucks drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 9 p.m.
Enjoy playing the Massachusetts Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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