Mega Millions Jackpot Soars to $1.2 Billion for Friday’s Drawing
This holiday season, a lucky Mega Millions player could receive a belated Christmas gift worth a staggering $1.2 billion. Since no one won the jackpot on Christmas Eve, the prize for Friday’s drawing has reached an estimated $1.15 billion, making it the largest prize ever offered in December. If someone wins, they will walk away with a cash prize of $516.1 million.
Seventh Time Jackpot Crosses $1 Billion
If someone wins the grand prize, it will be just the seventh time in Mega Millions history that the jackpot has crossed the $1 billion mark. Previous record-breaking winners include:
- South Carolina (2018)
- Michigan (2021)
- Illinois (2022)
- Maine and Florida (2023)
- New Jersey (March 2023)
The Florida jackpot of $1.602 billion remains the largest in the history of Mega Millions.
Joshua Johnston’s Holiday Message
Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, commented on the special holiday drawing, saying,
“We know many people will likely receive tickets for Friday’s drawing as gifts. What a gift it would be if you ended up with a ticket worth a $1.15 billion jackpot. There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays—whether Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any tradition—than by helping fulfill someone’s dreams with a prize like this.”
Tuesday’s Winning Numbers and Million-Dollar Winners
The winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing were: 11, 14, 38, 45, 46, and Mega Ball 3. While no ticket matched all six numbers, four tickets won $1 million each by matching the first five numbers. These winning tickets were sold in:
- California
- Missouri
- Wyoming
- Pennsylvania
Previous Mega Millions Jackpots
It’s been three months since the last Mega Millions jackpot was claimed—an $810 million prize won by a resident of the Houston area. The winning ticket was purchased at a convenience store in Sugar Land, Texas. Before that, Illinois won a $552 million jackpot on June 4, and New Jersey claimed a $1.128 billion prize on March 26.
Fifth-Largest Jackpot in History
If the jackpot is won on Friday, it will be the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history, adding to the excitement surrounding this holiday season’s drawing.
Mega Millions 2024: The Year of Fewest Wins
The holiday drawing is part of what Mega Millions is calling the “most unusual jackpot year.” So far in 2024, the jackpot has been won only three times, the fewest in any single year since the game began in 2002.
Ticket Price Increase in 2025
Next year, Mega Millions tickets will cost $5 per play, starting from April 2025. This price hike was announced by Mega Millions in October 2023, along with several game enhancements, such as:
- Improved odds
- More frequent and larger jackpots
- Bigger starting jackpots
This will be the second ticket price increase since the game began in 2002.
Where to Buy Tickets and Odds of Winning
Mega Millions tickets are available in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held at 11 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, each ticket costs $2, and the odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 302.5 million. read more…