The Grinch got his way, as not a single ticket sold for the $1 billion Mega Millions Christmas Eve jackpot matched the six balls needed to win: 11, 14, 38, 45, 46 and a Mega Ball of 3.
The next estimated jackpot is a massive $1.15 billion, with a cash option of $516.1 million, lottery officials said. The next draw is Friday evening.
The prize for Tuesday night’s drawing grew from an estimated $970 million on Monday to $1 billion, or $448.8 million for the cash option, on Christmas Eve.
The jackpot has been rolling since it was last won on September 10 in Texas, worth $810 million. No ticket matched all six numbers the last time. drawing on Friday eveningwith white balls 2, 20, 51, 56 and 67, plus the gold Mega Ball 19.
Thirteen Mega Millions jackpots have been won in December since the game began in 2002. If someone wins on Tuesday, it would be just the second Mega Millions jackpot win on Christmas Eve. Someone won a $68 million jackpot in New York on Christmas Eve in 2002, but the prize went unclaimed.
Very few Mega Millions jackpots have been won this year. It has only been won three times, which is the fewest won in any year since the game began. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.
According to Mega Millions, the current jackpot would be the seventh largest in history. Last year a winning player in Florida won the biggest jackpot ever, winning $1.602 billion in an August 8 drawing.
Mega Millions tickets are available in 45 of the 50 US states, in addition to Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 per play. The drawings will be performed on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11pm EST.
Beware of lottery scams
People who plan to play the lottery should beware of lottery scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a lottery scam usually involves receiving a phone call, email or letter telling you that you have won a sweepstakes, lottery or prize. Some scams may ask people to pay money to access their winnings.
Mega Millions says no lottery representative would ever call, text or email anyone about winning a prize. The game also notes that large jackpots attract the attention of potential scammers.
“While people should be vigilant at all times, this is especially true during periods of larger jackpots,” the lottery website said.
Changes are coming to Mega Millions
Mega Millions tickets will become more expensive next year. It will cost $5 each from April 2025, more than double the current $2 per ticket.
The change in ticket price will lead to bigger jackpots and better odds of winning, according to Mega Millions. The April change marks the second prize increase since the launch of Mega Millions.
“We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and be excited to play,” said Joshua Johnston, chief executive of the Mega Millions Consortium, when the news was announced. “We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, which means more billionaires and many more millionaires to come as the jackpots rise. Additionally, this game will continue the important legacy of supporting charities everywhere Mega Millions is played.”
Correction: This story has been updated to note that Mega Millions started in 2002, not 2022.
