This Christmas Eve, lottery players in the United States have an extra reason to dream big: the Mega Millions jackpot has soared to an impressive $944 million, one of the largest prizes ever offered in December.
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After no one hit the winning numbers in Friday’s draw, the jackpot climbed from $862 million to $944 million. Should someone claim the prize in Tuesday’s (24th) drawing, the winner can choose between annuity payments or a lump sum estimated at $429.4 million.
Winning Numbers and Prize Winners
In last Friday’s drawing, the winning numbers were: 2, 20, 51, 56, 67, and the Mega Ball 19. Although no one secured the grand prize, five lucky tickets won $1 million each by matching the first five numbers. These tickets were sold in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, according to the Mega Millions organization.
A Year of Historic Prizes
The Mega Millions organization highlighted that this year has been marked as “the most unusual year for jackpots.” For the first time since the game began in 2002, all jackpots won so far rank among the 10 largest prizes in the game’s history.
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Among the biggest prizes of 2024:
– **March**: A ticket holder in New Jersey claimed $1.13 billion.
– **June**: An anonymous player in Illinois won $552 million through an online lottery purchase.
– **September**: A Houston, Texas resident claimed $800 million after purchasing the winning ticket at a gas station convenience store.
December’s Jackpot Legacy
December has historically been a lucky month for Mega Millions players, with 13 jackpots won during the holiday season. However, the jackpot has only been won once on Christmas Eve, according to the organization.
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Odds of Winning
While the prize is enticing, the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are approximately 1 in 302.5 million. Nevertheless, the dream of starting the New Year as a multimillionaire will undoubtedly continue to attract millions of players across the U.S.
Good luck to all participants—and may this Christmas Eve bring the greatest gift of all!
Source: Mega Millions
