Mega Millions Jackpot Keeps Rolling Through Holidays, Top Prize Reaches $1.15B

Posted on: December 26, 2024, 09:03h. 

Last updated on: December 26, 2024, 12:02h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Mega Millions didn’t deliver a life-changing gift on Christmas Eve as no ticket matched all six drawn numbers on Tuesday night.

Mega Millions jackpot lottery odds
The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, December 27, is an estimated $1.15 billion. The advertised jackpot is the amount the winner would win should they choose the 30-year annuity. (Image: AP)

The Mega Millions jackpot rolled over for a 30th time after the game’s top prize went unwon. The winning numbers on Tuesday were 1, 14, 38, 45, and 46, plus the gold Mega Ball 3.

Mega Millions officials estimate that the jackpot for Friday night’s drawing will reach $1.15 billion. That would rank as the game’s fifth-richest prize ever. Mega Millions dates back to 1996 when it debuted as The Big Game.

The Mega Millions Consortium, which operates the interstate lottery game on behalf of its 47 participating member jurisdictions, says the prize is growing fast amid the holiday gift-giving season.

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,” said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium. “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 one-time cash option for Friday’s drawing is projected to be around $516.1 million. Each ticket’s odds of winning the jackpot are just one in more than 302.5 million.

Jackpot Narrowly Avoids Winners 

More than 100 tickets almost hit Tuesday night’s jackpot. 110 tickets matched five of the six balls.

Four tickets matched all five white balls to claim $1 million prizes. None of those tickets purchased the $1 add-on Megaplier, which would have tripled their payouts to $3 million after the Megaplier landed on 3x. The odds of matching all five white balls are one in 12.6 million.

There were also 116 tickets that matched the four white balls and the gold Mega Ball to win $10K each, the game’s third-best prize. The odds of a ticket matching that combination are one in 931K. Thirteen of those tickets had the Megaplier to win $30K.

There were additionally 2,621 tickets that matched four white balls to claim $500 prizes, with 452 including the Megaplier to win $1,500. Those odds are one in 38,792.

Most of Tuesday’s winning tickets — more than 2.8 million plays — matched only the gold Mega Ball to win back their $2 wager. There were 516,461 tickets that bought the Megaplier. The odds of winning back your initial wager are one in 37, as there are 37 gold Mega Balls. 

Price Hike Incoming 

Beginning in April, the cost of a basic Mega Millions play will soar 285% to $5. The number of balls, and therefore the jackpot’s odds, will remain the same. Each ticket will come with the Megaplier automatically included, meaning every winning ticket will return more than the original $5 wager.

The current Megaplier improves nonjackpot wins by 2x, 3x, 4x, and 5x. Come April, there will also be a 10x Megaplier in play.