Mega Millions hits billion-dollar jackpot before Christmas Eve

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The Mega Millions jackpot has soared to a staggering $1.15 billion after no players matched Tuesday’s winning combination, marking the fifth-largest prize in the game’s history.

Players who checked their tickets against Tuesday’s numbers – 11, 14, 38, 45, 46, and Mega Ball 3 – found themselves still in the running for the massive prize. While the top prize remained unclaimed, four fortunate players from California, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming each secured $1 million prizes by matching five white balls.

The #MegaMillions #jackpot surged to $1.15 billion on Wednesday after no ticket matched the numbers drawn on Tuesday, the #lottery said.
📽️ ABC7LA pic.twitter.com/OoKfzvRzO3

— 🛰️ Wars and news 🍉 (@EUFreeCitizen) December 25, 2024

“We know that many people will likely receive tickets to Friday’s drawing as holiday gifts, and what a gift that would turn out to be if you ended up with a ticket worth a $1.15 billion jackpot,” Lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium Joshua Johnston said.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holidays – whether Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or any other way people choose to celebrate the season – than by helping fulfill the dreams that come with a prize like this and prizes that will be won at all levels of the game.”

The lottery reported that over 4.2 million ticketholders claimed various prize tiers in Tuesday’s drawing. Players now have their sights set on Friday’s drawing, which offers an estimated cash option of $516.1 million.

The current jackpot has been accumulating since September when a Texas player claimed an $810 million prize. The holiday season has brought increased ticket sales, as noted by Queens Deli worker Patel, who reported selling more than 100 tickets on Christmas Eve alone.

“It’s a lot — it’s very busy,” the 22-year-old, who is part-time at Forest Deli in Ridgewood, told The Post.

🇺🇸BREAKING: Months after winning, a person in New Jersey finally claims $1.13 BILLION Mega Millions jackpot pic.twitter.com/o0d5aOoXFF

— Detect🎙️ (@TheDetectNews) December 25, 2024

“They want to win a billion dollars, of course. They are saying, like, ‘I’m going to give it to the charity,’ and ‘give it to you,’ also. I’m excited also for my customers. If my customer wins, I’m happy.”

A win on Friday would mark the seventh billion-dollar-plus jackpot in Mega Millions history. Previous notable winners include South Carolina’s $1.537 billion in October 2018, Michigan’s $1.050 billion in January 2021, Illinois’s $1.337 billion in July 2022, Maine’s $1.348 billion in January 2023, Florida’s $1.602 billion in August 2023, and New Jersey’s recent $1.128 billion in March 2024.

The New Jersey winner, who chose to remain anonymous, recently came forward after nine months to claim their prize. Players can purchase tickets for $2 each, with drawings held in Atlanta, Georgia, every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. The odds of winning the grand prize stand at one in 302,575,350.