Mega Millions lottery winner scoops huge £954m Christmas jackpot after three months with no winners
Mega Millions lottery winner scoops huge £954m Christmas jackpot after three months with no winners
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A lucky punter has won nearly one billion pounds on a Christmas lottery draw. The Mega Millions player from Cottonwood, California, will an extra reason to celebrate this New Year after drawing the winning number. Following three months without anyone winning the top prize, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion (£954.5 million) was sold for the drawing Friday night.
The winner of the lottery in the United States matched the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and the gold Mega Ball 6. The identity of the winner was not immediately known. The total amount of the Mega Millions jackpot would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years.
Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Friday night's drawing is an estimated $549.7 million (£437.2 million). Despite the game's long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continued to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grew. Until Friday, the last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was September 10.
The largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot ticket worth $1.6 billion (£1.27bn) was sold in Florida in August 2023. Two prizes for its compatriot Powerball lottery have been larger. Mega Millions and Powerball are sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the US Virgin Islands. Powerball also is sold in Puerto Rico.
A statement from Mega Millions read: "In the middle of the holiday season, a Mega Milllions ticket-holder in California has a lot to celebrate! A single ticket sold in the state matched all six numbers drawn on December 27 – the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49 and 55, plus the gold Mega Ball 6. The jackpot is worth an estimated $1.22 billion ($549.7 million cash); it’s the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot in history, and the seventh Mega Millions jackpot greater than $1 billion. The winning ticket was sold in Cottonwood, California.".
