The ultimate Christmas gift might not fit under the tree this year, as someone could win nearly $1 billion in the Mega Millions lottery.
The jackpot is now estimated at $944 million for the Christmas Eve drawing.
The prize climbed higher after no tickets matched all six numbers in Friday night’s drawing: white balls 2, 20, 51, 56, 67, and the gold Mega Ball 19.
If claimed, this would mark the largest December jackpot ever and the seventh-largest in Mega Millions history.
In the December 20 drawing, 2,068,988 tickets won prizes across various non-jackpot levels. Five tickets matched the five white balls to win the $1 million second-tier prize. Two of these were sold in Indiana, and the others were purchased in Arkansas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
Since this streak began, there have been 56 winners of $1 million or more from 24 states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Mega Millions drawings take place at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Mega Millions Tickets and Key Facts
- Mega Millions is the only lottery game with six jackpots exceeding $1 billion.
- Tickets are available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Each ticket costs $2, with an optional $1 Megaplier to boost non-jackpot prizes.
- Half of the revenue from ticket sales supports state-specific causes and retailer commissions.
- The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, while the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.