Biggest jackpot in 9 months closes in on a billion dollars

By Todd Northrop

Nine months after Mega Millions delivered a $1.13 billion jackpot to one ticket sold in New Jersey, the multi-state lottery game is back with a jackpot to be drawn Tuesday that is also nearing the $1 billion mark.

When nobody won Friday night's $862 million grand prize, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to an estimated $944 million — the largest since a March 26, 2024 $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won by one ticket sold in New Jersey. That jackpot remains unclaimed by the winner, who has another three months to claim the prize.

The next Mega Millions drawing is on Tuesday night at 11:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 pm Pacific).

Tuesday's $944 million Mega Millions jackpot is the 7th-largest in the game's history, and the 12th-largest United States lottery jackpot of all time (see full list below).

The lump-sum cash value of $429.4 million is the 18th-largest on the all-time US lottery jackpot cash value list.

The current jackpot run-up started on September 13 as a $20 million grand prize. It is 3 months since Mega Millions has had a jackpot winner, when an $800 million jackpot was won by one ticket sold in Texas — the biggest prize ever won in the state. In October, the jackpot was claimed by an anonymous trust formed in Sugar Land.

Lottery players wondering what all the cash will look like in their bank account after federal and state taxes are taken out can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.

The rush of ticket sales over the next few days may propel the jackpot to an even higher amount before the drawing takes place Tuesday. Lottery Post and USA Mega will update the jackpot tallies displayed if such an increase occurs.

In Friday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Arkansas, 1 from Illinois, 2 from Indiana, and 1 from Pennsylvania. 

None of the second-prize winners purchased their ticket with the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play. If they had, their prize would have doubled to $2 million, as the Megaplier number drawn was 2.

The Megaplier option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Megaplier is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts. By law, California awards all lottery prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.

Also, a total of 48 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. Of those tickets, 11 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $20,000, and 13 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $6,199.

The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, December 20, 2024, were 2, 20, 51, 56, and 67, with Mega Ball number 19. The Megaplier number was 2.

The complete payout information and official drawing video for Friday's drawing can be found at USA Mega's Mega Millions Drawing Information page, as well as on the Mega Millions Prize Payouts page at Lottery Post. 

Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $82 million from its previous amount of $862 million. The cash value was raised by $37.3 million from its previous amount of $392.1 million.

Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each. For an extra $1 per ticket players can purchase the Megaplier option, which multiplies any non-jackpot won by up to 5 times, depending on the Megaplier number drawn that evening.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time.

Players looking for the nearest official lottery retailer — or maybe just a different store without such a long line — are urged to use the free Lottery Places app available for iOS, Android, and Windows. The app can find lottery stores in every Mega Millions state and can search across state lines — something even official state lotteries can't do.

Some states offer direct online sales, allowing players to bypass the store and purchase tickets from home. Players can see if they can play Mega Millions online by tapping the link. Depending on the physical location of the person, the link will either provide access via a licensed butler service or the official state lottery itself.

Butler services provide scanned copies of the purchased lottery tickets securely held on behalf of the customer. In the past, such lottery ticket services were used by people out side the USA to win big jackpots in Oregon and Florida.

Mega Millions lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Powerball and Mega Millions.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 12th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States, and the 7th-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever.

If nobody wins Tuesday, the next drawing will be greater than $1 billion.

1. Powerball: $2.0401 billion, Nov. 7, 2022 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
2. Powerball: $1.7649 billion, Oct. 11, 2023 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
3. Mega Millions: $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Florida
4. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
5. Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
6. Mega Millions: $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (25 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maine
7. Mega Millions: $1.337 billion, Jul. 29, 2022 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois
8. Powerball: $1.3259 billion, Apr. 6, 2024 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Oregon
9. Mega Millions: $1.128 billion, Mar. 26, 2024 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - New Jersey
10. Powerball: $1.0798 billion, Jul. 19, 2023 (38 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
11. Mega Millions: $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (36 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
12. Mega Millions: $944 million, Dec. 24, 2024 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Initial estimate, not won yet
13. Powerball: $842.4 million, Jan. 1, 2024 (34 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
14. Mega Millions: $800 million, Sep. 10, 2024 (27 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Texas
15. Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
16. Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
17. Powerball: $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Washington
18. Powerball: $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maryland
19. Powerball: $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
20. Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
21. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
22. Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
23. Powerball: $632.6 million, Jan 5, 2022 (39 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California, Wisconsin
24. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
25. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 15
• Mega Millions: 10

Top 25 cash value jackpots

Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.

Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 18th-largest cash value in U.S. history.

1. Powerball: $997.6 million cash, Nov. 7, 2022 ($2.0401 billion annuity) - California
2. Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
3. Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
4. Mega Millions: $794.2 million cash, Aug. 8, 2023 ($1.602 billion annuity) - Florida
5. Mega Millions: $780.5 million cash, Jul. 29, 2022 ($1.337 billion annuity) - Illinois
6. Mega Millions: $776.6 million cash, Jan. 22, 2021 ($1.05 billion annuity) - Michigan
7. Powerball: $774.1 million cash, Oct. 11, 2023 ($1.7649 billion annuity) - California
8. Mega Millions: $723.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2023 ($1.348 billion annuity) - Maine
9. Powerball: $621 million cash, Apr. 6, 2024 ($1.3259 billion annuity) - Oregon
10. Powerball: $558.1 million cash, Jul. 19, 2023 ($1.0798 billion annuity) - California
11. Powerball: $546.8 million cash, Jan. 20, 2021 ($731.1 million annuity) - Maryland
12. Mega Millions: $536.6 million cash, Mar. 26, 2024 ($1.128 billion annuity) - New Jersey
13. Powerball: $496 million cash, Oct. 4, 2021 ($699.8 million annuity) - California
14. Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
15. Powerball: $477 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
16. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
17. Powerball: $450.2 million cash, Jan. 5, 2022 ($632.6 million annuity) - California, Wisconsin
18. Mega Millions: $429.4 million cash, Dec. 24, 2024 ($944 million annuity) - Initial estimate, not won yet
19. Powerball: $425.2 million cash, Jan. 1, 2024 ($842.4 million annuity) - Michigan
20. Powerball: $407.2 million cash, Feb. 6, 2023 ($754.6 million annuity) - Washington
21. Mega Millions: $404.2 million cash, Sep. 10, 2024 ($800 million annuity) - Texas
22. Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
23. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
24. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
25. Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana

The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 15
• Mega Millions: 10