Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing delivered familiar holiday suspense — and then a quiet deflation. The winning numbers for Dec. 26, 2025, were 9, 19, 31, 63 and 64 with the Mega Ball 7. No ticket matched all six numbers to claim the advertised $125 million annuity, so the jackpot rolls on.
A big consolation prize
While the top prize went unclaimed, there was a headline-sized consolation: a single ticket sold in Kentucky matched the five white balls (but missed the Mega Ball) and, with the multiplier in play, the prize was worth $2 million. That’s the kind of life-changing win that still tumbles out of these drawings even when the jackpot isn’t hit.
The advertised $125 million jackpot carried a cash option of about $56.9 million. With no jackpot winner, the Mega Millions prize for the next drawing (Tuesday, Dec. 30) is estimated at $138 million, according to the official Mega Millions site. You can always see official results and prize details at the Mega Millions website.
Context: a holiday lottery season
The drawing came on the heels of an extraordinary week for U.S. lotteries. On Dec. 24 a single ticket in Arkansas captured one of the largest Powerball prizes in history — about $1.82 billion — and Mega Millions itself has produced several big winners this year, including a $980 million jackpot in November and a $90 million winner on Dec. 2.
Odds haven’t budged: matching all five white balls plus the Mega Ball remains a 1-in-290,472,336 shot. Still, as the Kentucky $2 million winner proves, the game hands out hefty non-jackpot prizes frequently enough to keep people buying tickets.
How and where to check your ticket
If you played, now’s the time to double-check your numbers. Retailers will post winning combinations, most state lottery sites update immediately after the drawing, and official channels are the most reliable place for prize and claim-window information. You can find ticket deadlines and claiming rules on the Mega Millions site linked above.
Many players use phone apps and mapping tools to locate retailers or scan tickets. If you rely on mobile maps to find a convenience store or check hours, new navigation tools are making that easier — see how conversational features are changing mapping experiences in our piece about Google Maps and Gemini’s copilot.
If you prefer checking on a laptop or tablet at home, people often grab a moment between errands to verify a win; we’ve rounded up current hardware deals if you’re in the market for a new device — including recent MacBook Air deals. (If you want one, the MacBook itself is available on Amazon.)
A few practical notes
- Ticket price is $5 per play under the post-April 2025 rules, and the built-in Multiplier (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x) is included in that price; it increases non-jackpot prizes.
- Where you can buy a ticket depends on your state: Mega Millions is offered in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some states also let you buy online.
- Claim rules and anonymity vary by state. If you win a large prize, check your state lottery’s regulations immediately so you don’t miss a deadline.
This drawing didn’t produce a new multi‑hundred‑million winner, but it did deliver a meaningful $2 million payout and another nudge higher for the next jackpot. If you play, good luck — and double- and triple-check those numbers.