After a winner was not drawn on Christmas Eve, the Mega Millions jackpot total has crossed the $1 billion mark at an estimated $1.15 billion.
No player matched all five numbers on the fateful white lottery balls in the holiday drawing, the numbers being 11-14-38-45-46. The next drawing on Friday night will give players a chance at entering the New Year with generational wealth in their pockets, offering a shot at estimated cash value winnings of $516.1 million.
As the winning ticket continues to go unbought, the pot keeps growing. Friday’s jackpot will be the fifth largest in Mega Millions history. The most money ever won since the game began in 1996 was in 2023, when a winner claimed $1.6 billion in Florida.
The last winner of the Mega Millions jackpot was on September 10, with an $810 million top prize – or $409.3 million in cash – awarded to a player in Sugar Land, Texas.
A Mega Millions ticket costs $2 per play, where players pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one gold “Mega Ball” number from 1 to 25. Players can also choose to have numbers randomly generated.
