The Massachusetts State Lottery’s Megabucks drawing has reached a record-high jackpot of $23.1 million, the lottery said Friday, with an estimated cash value of $15.33 million. The jackpot grew after a winless drawing Wednesday and will be decided in the next drawing on Saturday at 9 p.m.
How the prize stacks up
The $23.1 million top prize is the largest in the history of the Megabucks game, surpassing the previous record of $21.7 million won on Oct. 16, 1985. The 1985 prize was split among eight winning tickets.
| Statistic | Amount / date |
|---|---|
| Current jackpot | $23.1 million |
| Estimated cash value | $15.33 million |
| Previous record | $21.7 million (Oct. 16, 1985) |
| Largest single-ticket win | $16.35 million (Sept. 10, 2022) |
When and how to play
- Drawing time: 9 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Next drawing: Saturday at 9 p.m.
- Ticket price: $2 per play; tickets are sold at Massachusetts State Lottery retailers until 9 p.m. on drawing nights.
Megabucks has not produced a jackpot winner since April 21, 2025, when a $1.97 million prize was claimed on a ticket sold in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The game underwent a redesign in 2023 — adding a third weekly drawing and changes intended to improve odds and payouts.
"to bring more value to players, including better odds of winning, higher average jackpots (and) bigger payouts for all non-jackpot prizes,"
The redesign also included a name change after 2022, when the largest single-ticket payout in the game's modern run — $16.35 million — was won on a ticket sold in Ware during a drawing when the game was branded as Megabucks Doubler.
For Massachusetts residents, the record jackpot is a reminder of both the potential windfall and the long odds that accompany lottery play. Players who plan to participate should be aware of retail cutoffs and that jackpots can be claimed in either annuity or cash options; the lottery’s posted estimated cash value for this drawing is $15.33 million.
Officials with the Massachusetts State Lottery will conduct the drawing Saturday night. More information about Megabucks rules, past winners and prize claims is available through the lottery’s website and its authorized retailers.
