The Mega Millions jackpot has reached an estimated $1.22 billion, with a cash option of $549.7 million, creating anticipation as players nationwide hope to claim the massive prize. The drawing, scheduled for Friday, December 27th, follows a series of rollovers and significant secondary wins.
The jackpot's growth was fueled by a lack of grand prize winners in previous drawings. Notably, the December 20th drawing saw no ticket match all numbers, causing the jackpot to climb from $862 million to over $970 million, eventually reaching $1 billion by Christmas Eve. This marks the 12th time a US lottery jackpot has reached the billion-dollar milestone, though only one has ever exceeded $2 billion.
Several secondary winners have emerged during this lottery streak. A Florida ticket holder recently won $5 million by matching five numbers with the Megaplier. Additionally, tickets purchased in California, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming each secured $1 million prizes in the December 24th drawing, while a North Carolina ticket took home $4 million on December 17th.
This current Mega Millions run began on Friday, September 13th, after a Texas ticket won $800 million, and the unusual numerical patterns in the drawing on Dec. 17th added to the lottery’s intrigue. The streak has seen the jackpot grow from a modest $20 million to its current staggering sum.
The next drawing is set for 11 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec 27th. The winning numbers will determine if a new billionaire will emerge or if the jackpot will continue to increase. Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each, with drawings every Tuesday and Friday.
For those who participate and win in Florida, prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing, or 60 days for the single-payment cash option. It's also important to note that Florida law requires lottery winners to be publicly identified. Though temporary exemptions are granted for prizes over $250,000 for 90 days. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are approximately 1 in 302,575,350, with smaller prizes awarded for matching fewer numbers.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won was $1.602 billion in August 2023 by a ticket sold in Florida, while the second highest prize was $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018. In total, twelve jackpots have reached or exceeded the billion-dollar mark, with this $1.22 billion drawing poised to make history.
