The Mega Millions jackpot has ballooned to a whopping $1.22 billion heading into Friday night’s drawing.
As no player matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball on Christmas Eve, the grand prize continued to move past the billion-dollar mark as players continue to rush to their local retailers to buy a ticket and try their hand at getting rich before the end of 2024. After hitting $1.15 billion on Thursday, lottery officials announced the jackpot had been upped by at least $70 million on Friday morning.
With an estimated cash value of $549.7 million, the current pot of money is the fifth-largest seen in the history of the Mega Millions game with the most ever being won coming in 2023 when a Florida player won a $1.6 billion jackpot. Mega Millions was created in 1996 and is now available to play in 45 states, including Mississippi.
The last Mega Millions winner came during the Sept. 10 drawing when a player in Texas won the $810 million top prize, cashing out at around $409 million. With 31 consecutive, winless drawings, Friday’s drawing is one of the most anticipated in recent memory.
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 per play and players can pick five numbers from 1 to 7- and one gold Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. Players can also choose to have numbers randomly generated. A list of retailers near you offering the game can be found here. The winning numbers will be announced at 10 p.m. CT and can be tracked here.
Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call the National Council on Problem Gambling’s toll-free helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.
