Did you play Mega millions this past Friday? The drawing for Friday, June 27, 2025, offered a life-changing estimated jackpot of $348 million. For hopeful players across the country, checking those winning numbers is the critical first step. Read on to find out if a ticket matched the numbers drawn and learn all the essential details about the prize, how to claim, and recent changes to the Mega Millions game.
Mega Millions Winning Numbers for June 27, 2025
The anticipation was high for the Friday, June 27 drawing. Players eagerly awaited the results to see if they held the winning combination for the massive $348 million prize.
Here are the Mega Millions winning numbers drawn on Friday, June 27, 2025:
18 – 21 – 29 – 42 – 50
And the Mega Ball number was:
2
Immediately check your ticket against these numbers. Even if you didn’t hit the jackpot, there are multiple other prize tiers you could have won!
Was There a Mega Millions Jackpot Winner on June 27?
Yes! The estimated $348 million Mega Millions jackpot for the June 27, 2025 drawing was won. A single lucky ticket successfully matched all five white balls and the Mega Ball.
According to official reports, that winning ticket was sold in the state of Virginia.
The jackpot had an advertised cash value option of $155.5 million before taxes. This marks the fourth time the Mega Millions jackpot has been claimed in 2025. The previous win occurred on April 18, when a player in Ohio secured a $112 million prize.
Following this big win, the Mega Millions jackpot will reset for the next drawing. The estimated starting jackpot will be $50 million (with a cash option around $22.4 million) for the drawing scheduled for Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Major Changes Impacting How You Play and Win
Mega Millions implemented significant changes to the game rules and structure earlier this year, effective starting with the April 8 drawing. These updates affect ticket price, prize payouts, and even the odds of winning. Understanding these changes is crucial for any regular or potential player.
What Changed with Mega Millions on April 8, 2025?
Several key aspects of the game were altered:
Ticket Price Increase: The cost per ticket went up from $2 to $5.
Built-In Multiplier: The previous “Megaplier” add-on for an extra $1 is now automatically included in the base $5 ticket price. A multiplier value (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X) is randomly assigned and printed on your ticket at purchase. This multiplier applies to all non-jackpot prizes.
Enhanced Non-Jackpot Prizes: Payouts for matching various combinations of numbers (excluding the jackpot) significantly increased due to the inclusion of the multiplier. For example, matching the five white balls, which previously paid a standard $1 million, now guarantees a minimum of $2 million and can pay up to $10 million depending on the multiplier on your ticket.
Minimum Prize Increased: The smallest prize you can win (matching just the Mega Ball) is now a minimum of $10, up from $2, again subject to the multiplier effect (up to $50).
Maximum Non-Jackpot Prize: With the multiplier, you can now win up to $10 million on a single ticket without hitting the jackpot by matching five white balls.
Higher Starting Jackpot: After a jackpot is won, the grand prize now resets to an estimated $50 million, a substantial increase from the previous $20 million starting point.
Slightly Better Odds: The number of Mega Balls available for selection decreased from 25 to 24. This change marginally improved the odds of winning the jackpot from 1 in 302,575,350 to the current 1 in 290,472,336.
Overall Winning Odds Improved: The odds of winning any prize tier also saw a slight improvement, changing from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23.
These changes mean that while the ticket costs more, the potential non-jackpot prizes are much larger, and the base starting jackpot after a win is higher.
Understanding the New Mega Millions Prize Payouts
With the new structure and the built-in multiplier, the prize amounts for matching different numbers have a minimum and maximum range (except for the jackpot).
Here’s a look at the revised prize payouts based on the new rules:
Jackpot: Remains the grand prize for matching all five white balls and the Mega Ball.
Match 5 White Balls: Minimum $2 million (with 2X multiplier) up to $10 million (with 10X multiplier). (Previously a fixed $1 million).
Match 4 White Balls + Mega Ball: Minimum $20,000 up to $100,000. (Previously $10,000).
Match 4 White Balls: Minimum $1,000 up to $5,000. (Previously $500).
Match 3 White Balls + Mega Ball: Minimum $400 up to $2,000. (Previously $200).
Match 3 White Balls: Minimum $20 up to $100. (Previously $10).
Match 2 White Balls + Mega Ball: Minimum $20 up to $100. (Previously $10).
Match 1 White Ball + Mega Ball: Minimum $14 up to $70. (Previously $4).
Match Mega Ball Only: Minimum $10 up to $50. (Previously $2).
These changes offer players the chance for significantly larger wins on non-jackpot prizes than ever before, directly tied to the multiplier feature included with every $5 ticket.
How to Play Mega Millions
Playing Mega Millions is straightforward, even with the recent adjustments. Each play costs $5 and automatically includes the multiplier feature.
Here’s how to get your ticket:
- Pick Your Numbers: Choose five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 24 for the gold Mega Ball.
- Opt for Quick Pick: If you don’t want to choose your own numbers, ask the retailer for a “Quick Pick” or “Easy Pick,” and the lottery computer will randomly select the numbers for you.
- Your Ticket Includes a Multiplier: The $5 ticket price automatically includes the multiplier feature. The multiplier value (2X to 10X) will be randomly assigned and printed on your ticket.
- Annuity Option: The advertised jackpot amount is typically based on the annuity option. With this choice, you receive an immediate initial payment, followed by 29 annual payments. Each subsequent annual payment increases by 5% to help keep pace with potential inflation over the 30-year payout period.
- Cash Option: This is a single, one-time lump sum payment. The cash option amount is always less than the advertised annuity jackpot because it represents the present cash value in the jackpot prize pool before* it would grow over 30 years with investment. However, you receive the entire amount at once. The cash option value for the $348 million jackpot was $155.5 million before taxes.
- $1.602 billion (Aug 8, 2023 – FL)
- $1.537 billion (Oct 23, 2018 – SC)
- $1.348 billion (Jan 13, 2023 – ME)
- $1.337 billion (July 29, 2022 – IL)
- $1.269 billion (Dec 27, 2024 – CA)
- $1.128 billion (Mar 26, 2024 – NJ)
- $1.05 billion (Jan 22, 2021 – MI)
- $810 million (Sept 10, 2024 – TX)
Remember, you don’t need to be a resident of the state where you buy the ticket, or even a U.S. citizen, to play or win.
Where Can You Buy Mega Millions Tickets?
Mega Millions is a widely available lottery game across much of the United States. You can purchase tickets in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
States that do NOT currently participate in Mega Millions are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
Tickets can be purchased through several channels:
In-Person Retailers: The most common way is to buy tickets at licensed lottery retailers, including gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and sometimes airport terminals.
Online Lottery Couriers: In certain states and territories, you can legally order lottery tickets online through official digital lottery courier services. Jackpocket, for instance, is an official courier of the USA TODAY Network and operates in states like Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. These apps or websites allow you to select numbers, place orders, view your ticket securely, and even collect smaller winnings digitally.
Always ensure you are using a legitimate and authorized service if buying tickets online.
What’s the Deadline to Buy a Ticket?
The window for purchasing a Mega Millions ticket closes before the drawing. However, the exact deadline varies significantly by state, typically ranging from 15 minutes to an hour or more before the drawing time. For third-party online courier services, the deadline might be even earlier, potentially up to two hours before the draw. For example, in New Jersey, the Jackpocket deadline is 9:15 p.m. ET for the 11 p.m. ET drawing.
It’s always best practice to check the specific deadline in your state to avoid missing out.
Understanding Your Chances: The Odds of Winning
While the dream of winning a massive jackpot is exciting, it’s important to have realistic expectations about the odds. The odds of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot are currently 1 in 290,472,336.
While those odds are very long, they are slightly better than the previous odds before the Mega Ball pool size was reduced. The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are significantly better, standing at approximately 1 in 23.
Playing the lottery should be viewed as entertainment, not a financial investment strategy.
Lump Sum vs. Annuity: How Jackpot Payouts Work
If you are the fortunate winner of a Mega Millions jackpot, you will face a crucial decision: how to receive your winnings. U.S. lotteries like Mega Millions offer two main payout options:
Most jackpot winners choose the cash option, but the decision depends entirely on individual financial circumstances and preferences.
Can Lottery Winners Remain Anonymous?
The ability for a lottery winner to remain anonymous varies widely from state to state. Some states require public disclosure of the winner’s name, city, and prize amount as a matter of public record. This is often done for transparency and to demonstrate that prizes are genuinely paid out.
However, a growing number of states now allow winners to claim their prizes anonymously. For instance, New Jersey recently changed its laws to permit lottery winners to stay anonymous. Florida has a temporary exemption for winners of $250,000 or more, allowing them to remain anonymous for 90 days from the claim date, though their information can be disclosed after that period unless specific steps are taken.
If you win a large prize, it is highly recommended to consult with a legal and financial advisor immediately and check the specific anonymity rules in the state where you purchased the winning ticket.
Check Your Tickets Promptly!
Finding out the winning numbers is just the first step. It is absolutely critical to check your ticket carefully and promptly. Unclaimed lottery prizes are not uncommon, with significant amounts sometimes going back to the state. Don’t let a potential win slip away!
Be wary of potential scams. Legitimate lotteries will never contact you directly to inform you that you’ve won a prize, especially if you haven’t purchased a ticket. You won’t be asked to pay fees or provide personal financial information to claim a lottery prize. If you are contacted out of the blue about lottery winnings, it’s almost certainly a scam.
Recent Notable Mega Millions Jackpots
The $348 million jackpot won on June 27, 2025, adds to the list of massive Mega Millions prizes. Here are some of the largest Mega Millions jackpots recorded:
Mega Millions jackpots routinely rank among the largest lottery prizes offered in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the winning Mega Millions numbers for June 27, 2025?
The winning numbers drawn on Friday, June 27, 2025, were 18, 21, 29, 42, and 50, with the gold Mega Ball number being 2. You should carefully compare these numbers to those on your ticket to see if you’ve won a prize in any of the game’s tiers.
How have the Mega Millions rules and prizes changed recently?
Effective April 8, 2025, the ticket price increased from $2 to $5, now including a built-in multiplier (2X-10X) on all non-jackpot prizes. This change significantly increased potential payouts for matching non-jackpot numbers, with the prize for matching five white balls going from $1 million to a range of $2 million to $10 million. The starting jackpot after a win also increased from $20 million to $50 million, and the odds of winning the jackpot slightly improved due to the Mega Ball pool decreasing from 25 to 24.
Where can I buy Mega Millions tickets and how do I claim a prize?
Mega Millions tickets are available for purchase in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands at various licensed retailers like convenience stores and gas stations. In some states, you can also buy tickets online through official lottery courier services like Jackpocket. To claim a prize, especially a large one, check your state lottery’s specific instructions, which typically involve visiting a lottery office. Payout options for the jackpot include a lump sum cash value or an annuity paid over 30 years.
What Happens Next?
With the jackpot now claimed, the focus shifts to the next drawing. The Mega Millions jackpot resets to $50 million for the drawing on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
If you purchased a ticket for the June 27 drawing, double-check your numbers. If you’re the lucky Virginia winner, congratulations! Seek professional advice immediately. If you matched other numbers, check the prize payout chart based on your ticket’s multiplier to see how much you’ve won.
Keep an eye out for the next chance to play on Tuesday night.
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