Illinois Lottery Player Wins $536M Mega Millions Jackpot

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An Illinois Lottery player has won the $536 million Mega Millions jackpot in Tuesday night's drawing. The winning ticket was purchased online and matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball. This is the second-largest lottery jackpot ever won by an online player in the United States.

Why it matters

Illinois has seen a string of major Mega Millions wins in recent years, including a $1.34 billion jackpot in 2022 - the largest lottery prize in state history. This latest win continues to highlight Illinois as a lucky location for big lottery payouts, especially through the state's growing online lottery platform.

The details

For the March 10 drawing, the winning ticket matched the numbers 16, 21, 30, 35, 65 and the Mega Ball 7. In addition to the jackpot winner, another online Illinois Lottery player matched all five numbers and won $5 million after adding the 5x Megaplier.

• The $536 million prize was won in the March 10, 2026 Mega Millions drawing.
• In March 2025, a ticket purchased in Cortland, Illinois won a $349 million Mega Millions jackpot.
• In June 2024, an Illinois iLottery player won $552 million, the largest online lottery prize ever recorded in the U.S.
• In July 2022, a ticket bought in Des Plaines, Illinois won a $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the largest lottery prize in state history.
• In June 2021, a player won $56 million after buying a ticket at a Citgo gas station in Crestwood, Illinois.

What’s next

The jackpot winner has one year from the date of the drawing to claim the prize. Illinois Lottery officials encourage winners to sign the back of their ticket and store it in a safe place until they are ready to claim their winnings.