Mega Millions jackpot climbs to estimated $1.15 billion after no winning tickets sold for $1 billion Christmas Eve jackpot

The Grinch had his method as no tickets bought for the $1 billion Mega Hundreds of thousands Christmas Eve jackpot matched the six balls wanted to win: 11, 14, 38, 45, 46, and a Mega Ball of three.

The subsequent estimated grand prize is a gargantuan $1.15 billion, with a money choice of $516.1 million, lottery officers mentioned. It will be the fifth greatest Mega Hundreds of thousands jackpot ever if somebody wins. (All of the totals are earlier than taxes are taken out.) The subsequent drawing can be Friday evening. 

The prize for Tuesday evening’s drawing grew from an estimated $970 million on Monday to $1 billion, or $448.8 million for the money choice, as increasingly more tickets have been bought through the day and on Christmas Eve.

The $1 billion jackpot would have been the seventh largest Mega Hundreds of thousands prize ever received. A participant in Florida obtained the greatest, $1.602 billion, in an Aug. 8 drawing.

Two successful Powerball jackpots prime all of them: an estimated $2.04 billion in California in November 2022 and $1.765 billion, additionally in California, in October 2023.

The Mega Hundreds of thousands jackpot has been rolling because it was final received at $810 million in Texas on Sept. 10. No ticket matched all six numbers through the earlier drawing on Friday evening, with white balls 2, 20, 51, 56 and 67, plus the gold Mega Ball 19.

If somebody had received Tuesday evening, it could have been simply the second Mega Hundreds of thousands jackpot received on Christmas Eve. Somebody received a $68 million jackpot in New York on Christmas Eve in 2002, however that prize went unclaimed.

13 Mega Hundreds of thousands jackpots have been received in December for the reason that recreation started in 2002.

Solely three Mega Hundreds of thousands jackpots have been received this yr — the fewest in any yr for the reason that recreation began. The chances of successful the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.

Winners have two decisions: a 30-year annuity that pays the complete jackpot quantity or a one-time money lump sum, which is way smaller. However many winners go for it to get the cash upfront.  

Mega Hundreds of thousands tickets can be found in 45 states together with Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are $2 per play. Drawings are performed at 11 p.m. EST on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Be careful for lottery scams

Folks planning to play the lottery ought to be careful for lottery scams. In keeping with the Federal Commerce Fee, lottery scams normally contain getting a name, e mail or letter saying you received a sweepstakes, lottery or prize. Some scams could ask folks to pay cash to entry their winnings.

Mega Hundreds of thousands says that no consultant of the lottery would ever name, textual content or e-mail anybody about successful a prize. The sport additionally notes that large jackpots draw consideration from would-be scammers.

“Whereas folks must be vigilant always, that is very true in periods of bigger jackpots,” based on the lottery’s web site.

Modifications coming to Mega Hundreds of thousands

Mega Hundreds of thousands tickets are set to get costlier subsequent yr. It would price $5 per play beginning in April, greater than double the present $2.

The ticket worth change will result in greater jackpots and higher odds of successful, based on Mega Hundreds of thousands. The change in April will mark the second worth enhance since Mega Hundreds of thousands was launched.

“We’re making a recreation that each our present gamers and other people new to Mega Hundreds of thousands will love and get enthusiastic about enjoying,” Joshua Johnston, lead director of the Mega Hundreds of thousands Consortium, mentioned when the information was introduced. “We anticipate extra billion-dollar jackpots than ever earlier than, that means creating extra billionaires and plenty of extra millionaires because the jackpots climb, plus this recreation will proceed the necessary legacy of supporting nice causes in every single place Mega Hundreds of thousands is performed.”

Correction: This story has been up to date to notice that Mega Hundreds of thousands started in 2002, not 2022.