Quick answer: Mega Millions is drawn at 11:00 PM Eastern Time every Tuesday and Friday — 10:00 PM Central, 9:00 PM Mountain, 8:00 PM Pacific. Ticket sales close about 15 minutes to an hour earlier depending on your state, and winning numbers post within minutes of the draw.
What time is the Mega Millions drawing on Friday?
The same as every draw night: 11:00 PM ET. Friday and Tuesday are the two Mega Millions nights, and both run on the identical schedule from the game's studio in Atlanta, Georgia. There is no separate weekend timing.
| Time zone | Mega Millions draw time | Powerball, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | 11:00 PM | 10:59 PM |
| Central | 10:00 PM | 9:59 PM |
| Mountain | 9:00 PM | 8:59 PM |
| Pacific | 8:00 PM | 7:59 PM |
The one-minute gap is not a coincidence — the two games are deliberately kept from drawing at the same moment, and they never share a night anyway.
What days are Mega Millions drawings?
Two nights a week: Tuesday and Friday. That schedule has been stable for years and did not change in the April 2025 game overhaul, which raised the ticket price and rebuilt the prize structure but left the draw calendar alone.
When do Mega Millions ticket sales close?
Sales cut-offs are set by each state, not by the game. The national cut-off recorded for Mega Millions is 10:45 PM ET — 15 minutes before the draw — but plenty of states stop selling an hour or more ahead of that. If you are buying on draw night, assume your deadline is closer to 10:00 PM ET than 10:45.
A ticket bought after the cut-off is valid; it is simply entered in the next Tuesday or Friday drawing. The draw date is printed on the ticket.
How soon are the winning numbers posted?
Within minutes of the drawing. Prize amounts for each of the nine tiers follow once the draw is certified, usually inside the hour. Our Mega Millions results page updates continuously, and every draw keeps a permanent page with the full breakdown of what each match paid.
What if the drawing is late?
Occasionally a draw runs a few minutes behind for technical or broadcast reasons. Nothing about your ticket changes — the sales cut-off has already passed, the number pool is fixed, and the results are simply published a little later. A delayed draw is not a cancelled draw.
Quick answers
What time are Mega Millions drawings?
11:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday and Friday nights, from Atlanta, Georgia.
What time is the Mega Millions drawing tonight?
If tonight is a Tuesday or Friday, 11:00 PM ET — 10:00 PM CT, 9:00 PM MT, 8:00 PM PT. On any other night there is no Mega Millions draw; Powerball draws Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
How late can I buy a Mega Millions ticket?
Up to your state's cut-off, which is at minimum 15 minutes before the drawing and often an hour or more. Buying later puts you in the next draw.
Are Mega Millions drawings held on holidays?
Yes — Tuesday and Friday draws run regardless of the calendar.
Bottom line
Mega Millions: Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 PM ET, one minute after Powerball's slot on its own nights. The real deadline is your state's sales cut-off. Check tonight's numbers on the Mega Millions page, compare the two games in our odds breakdown, or see draw times for every game.
Verified against Lottery Atlas draw data, September 2026. Draw times can shift for technical reasons. Play responsibly — 1-800-GAMBLER.
