Mega Millions Hits $1 Billion for Christmas Eve, 7th Largest Jackpot and Largest December Prize

Dec 24, 2024, 02:00 AM

The Mega Millions jackpot has escalated to an estimated $1 billion for the Christmas Eve drawing, marking it as the seventh-largest prize in the game's history. The cash option for the jackpot stands at $448.8 million. This surge follows a series of rollovers since the last jackpot was won on September 10, 2024, in Texas, with a prize of $810 million. The jackpot has only been won once on Christmas Eve, in 2002, when a $68 million prize went unclaimed. The odds of winning the jackpot remain at 1 in 302,575,350. Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with tickets priced at $2 each. The drawing is scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on December 24, 2024. The jackpot reached $970 million before the final increase to $1 billion, which would be the largest prize ever won in December.