Mega Millions jackpot hits $473M for March 3. See winning numbers.

Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAYWed, March 4, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTC

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Mega Millions jackpot hits $473M for March 3. See winning numbers.

The Mega Millions jackpot climbed ahead of the Tuesday, March 3 drawing, reaching $473 million with a cash value of $221.8 million.

If someone were to get lucky and win on Tuesday, they’ll have two options: take home a one-time, lump-sum cash payment or receive an immediate payment followed by annual checks, each 5% larger than the previous year.

Tuesday’s drawing comes after a lucky person in Arkansas took home the Powerball jackpot of $251 million. Mega Millions has been in a bit of a dry spell as of late — no one has won the jackpot since December, when a New Jersey ticket holder scored the $90 million prize.

With Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing only hours away, here is what you .

1 / 0See Powerball and Mega Millions winners who hit the jackpotTennessee Lottery CEO Rebecca Paul, left, walks with an excited Janis Goodwin, middle and Frances Davenport as they prepare to pick up their million-dollar Powerball check at the lottery headquarters in Nashville on Oct. 3, 2005.What are the winning Mega Millions numbers for 3/3/2026?

USA TODAY will post the winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions lottery after the drawing at 11 p.m. ET

States with the most lottery winners: What you .

When is the next Mega Millions drawing?

The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday, March 6, at 11 p.m. ET.

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Top 10 Mega Millions Jackpots -

$1.602 billion on Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida

$1.537 billion on Oct. 23, 2018, in South Carolina

$1.348 billion on Jan. 1, 2023, in Maine

$1.337 billion on July 29, 2022, in Illinois

$1.269 billion on Dec. 27, 2024, in California

$1.128 billion on Mar. 26, 2024, in New Jersey

$1.05 billion on Jan 22, 2021, in Michigan

$983 million on Nov. 14, 2025, in Georgia

$810 million on Sept. 10, 2024, in Texas

$656 million on March 30, 2012, in Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland

Millionaire for Life lottery: How to play and win the jackpot

What is Mega Millions?

Mega Millions is a lottery played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Each ticket costs $5, and players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers — five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball) — or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick.

You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. In the event of multiple jackpot winners, the jackpot prize will be shared.

How to play the Mega Millions

To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at several locations, including your local convenience store, gas station, or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be purchased online.

Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24.

If you’re feeling especially unlucky or don’t want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a "Quick Pick" or an "Easy Pick." These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.

Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the "Megaplier."

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mega Millions winning numbers for March 3 drawing: $473M jackpot

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