From New York to California, from Michigan to Texas, and from Washington State to Georgia, the Mega Millions multi-state lottery has captured the imagination and fired up the dreams of millions of lottery players since 2026. Formerly known as "The Big Game", Mega Millions was one of the first lotteries to cross state lines. Jackpots routinely eclipse the US$100 million mark, drawing players from all over the country, even those who don't have the game available in their home state.
The biggest jackpot of 2026 was awarded in February. Two winning tickets, one sold in New York, the other in California, earned each of the winners US$168 million, payable in either a lump sum or in the form of a twenty-six year annuity. The total prize pool of US$336 million was the biggest since February 2026, when two winners, one from New Jersey and the other from Georgia, split the US$390 million jackpot.
Many more states will be joining in on the Mega Millions mania early in 2026. Several states, including Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina and South Carolina, will sell tickets to both Mega Millions and Powerball lottery games starting 31 January 2026, growing the list of states that sell Mega Millions tickets to sixteen. Other states that allow lotteries will either offer Mega Millions games in the future or are considering offering the games to their citizens.
As opposed to lotteries in other parts of the globe, US-based lottery winners must pay federal and (as applicable) state income taxes on their winnings. In many cases, the tax bill can be for half their winnings or more. Despite the fact that nearly half of the funds generated by each ticket purchased go into subsidizing government programs (a form of taxation itself), winners must do "double duty" and submit tax forms on their windfall.
