The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed past the $1 billion mark after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Christmas Eve.
The estimated prize for the next drawing on Friday is $1.15 billion, making it potentially the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history.
The lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, Joshua Johnston in a statement on Wednesday, said, “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.”
The odds of winning the grand prize stand at a staggering 1 in 302,575,350. However, lottery officials note that the odds of winning any prize in the game are significantly higher at 1 in 24.
Mega Millions tickets, priced at $2 each, are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Half of the proceeds from each ticket sold remain in the state where the ticket was purchased. Drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
“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 fulfil the dreams that come with a prize like this and prizes that will be won at all levels of the game,” Johnston added.
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