October 18, 2025

Mega Millions Drawing Sees $12.1 Million in Winnings

Columbia, SC, October 18, 2025

News Summary

In the latest Mega Millions drawing, substantial prizes were awarded, including two tickets matching five white balls for $2 million each from Arizona and Texas. A total of over $12.1 million was distributed across winning tickets from the last draw. The current jackpot continues to grow, inching towards historical records.

Columbia, SC – In the latest drawing of the Mega Millions lottery, players can rejoice as winning numbers announced on October 17, 2025, yielded substantial prizes. The winning numbers for this drawing were 09-21-27-48-56 with a Mega Ball of 10. This significant draw saw over $12.1 million distributed across 401,467 winning tickets from the previous drawing held on October 14.

Among the notable prizes, two tickets matched five white balls, each winning the second-tier prize worth $2 million. These winning tickets originated from Arizona and Texas respectively, benefitting from a 2X multiplier. The drawing also produced fifteen tickets that matched four white balls and the Mega Ball, with these third-tier prize winners receiving varying amounts based on their multipliers.

Additional prizes included eight tickets at a 2X multiplier, each claiming $20,000; four tickets at a 3X multiplier, each claiming $30,000; two tickets at a 4X multiplier, each claiming $40,000; and a single winning ticket at a 5X multiplier for $50,000.

The Mega Millions jackpot, which has been growing since it was last won, now stands at a remarkable total with its last large payout reported at $348 million on June 27, 2023, in Virginia. Historical records show this multi-state lottery producing some of the largest jackpots in history; notably, the highest recorded amount was $1.602 billion, which was won in Florida on August 8, 2023.

Despite the allure of these sizable jackpots, players should be mindful of the odds, which now stand at 1 in 292 million for entering the Mega Millions. This statistic underscores the competitive nature of lottery play.

In addition to Mega Millions, the South Carolina Education Lottery features several other draw games such as Pick 3, Pick 4, Cash Pop, and Palmetto Cash 5. The results for the most recent Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL draws were as follows: Midday results of 1-9-2 with a FIREBALL of 4, and Evening results of 6-6-8 with a FIREBALL of 2. In the Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL drawing, the Midday results were 2-3-9-8 with a FIREBALL of 4, while the Evening draw showed 7-1-9-7 with a FIREBALL of 2. Additionally, the winning numbers for Cash Pop were announced as 01-02-04-31-42.

For players who are fortunate enough to win prizes, understanding the claims process is crucial. Winnings of up to $500 can be claimed directly at any authorized retailer with a signed winning ticket. For prizes ranging from $501 to $100,000, winners must mail their signed ticket, a claim form, and a government-issued ID to the Claims Center. For prizes exceeding $100,000, claims must be made in person at Lottery Headquarters, where winners need to present their signed ticket, claim form, government ID, and Social Security card.

The Claims Center for larger prizes is located at SC Education Lottery, P.O. Box 11039, Columbia, SC 29211-1039, with a physical office at 1303 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201. It is also essential to note that all prizes need to be claimed within 180 days of the draw date.

For more detailed information about the claims process and to access necessary forms, winners can refer to the South Carolina Lottery claim page.