Mega Millions Top 10 Jackpots for Tuesday, December 17, 2024

On December 18, 2024By Littum

The $760 million prize a week before Christmas Eve 2024 is one of the top 10 jackpots in Mega Millions history.

Will a $2 Mega Millions ticket make you a multi-millionaire? As they say in the lottery world, “it could happen to you.”

Last week, a Florida Mega Millions ticket holder got a little richer when their ticket matched five numbers to win $5 million, thanks to Megaplier.

But when no one matched all five numbers plus The Mega Ball in the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, December 13th, which happened to be Friday the 13th, the jackpot rolled over to more than $750 million for Tuesday, December 13th. The one-time payout would be $352.1 million, according to Mega Millions online.

Interestingly, this lottery streak started on Friday, September 13 – the only other Friday the 13th “holiday” in 2024.

On Tuesday, December 17, the winning Mega Millions numbers were 56-66-67-68-69 and the Mega Ball was 18. Megaplier was 4x. We’ll see if we have a winner or another rollover.

In case you’re wondering, these were the Friday, December 13th Mega Millions winning numbers: 36-43-52-58-65 and the Mega Ball was 16. The Megaplier was 3x. While that resulted in a rollover — toward a possible $1 billion jackpot, mind you — it wasn’t all bad news: There were four big winners in Friday’s drawing led by a ticket bought in Vermont that matched 5 plus Megaplier for 3 million dollar prize. Three other tickets matched 5 to $1 million prizes. These were purchased in California, Massachusetts and New York.

In one week, the jackpot jumped from $619 million to $760 million. While 760 million dollars is a lot of moneyit is not among the top 10 jackpots ever in US history (see below), although it is among the largest in the game’s history.

Recently, a Florida ticket won big, matching 5 plus Megaplier, for a secondary prize of $5 million in the Tuesday, December 10th Mega Millions drawing. That ticket was bought from a Publix in Crystal RiverFlorida, on the state’s west coast near Cedar Key. Whoever picked these lucky numbers won a $5 million prize and there is a limited time to claim the cash prize or the full amount (see below). Three other tickets — two bought in California and the other in Maryland — matched 5 to $1 million prizes. The deadline to claim them varies because the winners are from another state.

If this lottery streak continues with another upset, there are still chances for a jackpot winner just before the holidays.

Mega Millions tickets start at $2 each. Below are some frequently asked questions about the game, when winning coupons expire in Florida (it differs from state to state) and lottery odds. Good luck!

What were the Mega Millions numbers for Tuesday, December 17, 2024? 56-66-67-68-69 and Mega Ball was 18

Mega Millions draws are at 11pm EST Tuesdays and Fridays. On Tuesday, December 17, the winning Mega Millions numbers were 56-66-67-68-69 and the Mega Ball was 18. Megaplier was 4x. We’ll see if there’s a top prize winner, a “match five number” secondary winner, or another rollover that pushes the top prize closer to a $1 billion jackpot.

When is the next Mega Millions drawing?

Mega Millions drawings are at 11pm EST Tuesdays and Fridays. The next Mega Millions drawing will be at 11:00 PM EST on Friday, December 20, 2024.

How long has Mega Millions been rolling over?

The last Mega Millions lottery streak started on Friday, September 13, one of two Friday the 13th “holidays” in 2024, after a ticket in Texas won $800 million for matching all five numbers and the Mega Ball. It took just over three months for the $20 million jackpot to roll over to $800 million.

Below is a summary of lottery drawings for this recent streak and how the jackpot grew over time.

Tuesday, December 17: $760 million
Friday, December 13 or Friday the 13th: $695 million
Tuesday, December 10: $619 million
Friday, December 6: $579 million
Tuesday, December 3: $541 million
Friday, November 29, aka Black Friday: $514 million
Tuesday, November 26: $489 million
Friday, November 22: $453 million
Tuesday, November 19: $420 million
Friday, November 15: $387 million
Tuesday, November 12: $361 million
Friday, November 8: $334 million
Tuesday, November 5, Election Day 2024: $303 million
Friday, November 1: $281 million
Tuesday, October 29: $250 million
Friday, October 25: $229 million
Tuesday, October 22: $205 million
Friday, October 18: $185 million
Tuesday, October 15: $169 million
Friday, October 11: $150 million
Tuesday, October 8: $129 million
Friday, October 4: $108 million
Tuesday, October 1: $93 million
Friday, September 27: $77 million
Tuesday, September 24: $62 million
Friday, September 20: $47 million
Tuesday, September 17: $31 million
Friday, September 13: $20 million

How long do you have to cash a winning Florida lottery ticket?

Florida Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days (six months) of the drawing date. To claim a cash single payment option, a winner has the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.

What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?

The chances of winning are quite low. According to Mega Millions websiteplayers have a 1 in 302,575,350 chance of matching all five white balls plus the gold mega ball. Prizes range from $2 (to match the Mega Ball) to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.

Does Florida Lottery Reveal Lottery Winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win the Florida lottery?

According to Florida Lottery websitecan’t winners remain anonymous: “Florida law requires the Florida Lottery to provide records containing information such as winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party that requests the information.”

But, the site says, “the names of lottery winners who claim prizes of $250,000 or more will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”

Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to stay anonymous if you win.

Top 10 biggest Mega Millions lottery jackpots

Per December 17, 2024, it is the largest Mega Millions prizes in the game’s history, according to megamillions .com.

The largest Mega Millions jackpot won on a single ticket was $1.58 billion for the August 8, 2023 drawing. Final sales pushed the top prize to $1.602 billion. The winning ticket was sold at a Neptune Beach, Florida, Publix. Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida, claimed the award.
The second largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on October 23, 2018.
$1.348 billion won in Maine on January 13, 2023
$1.337 billion won in Illinois on July 29, 2022
$1.128 billion won in Neptune, New Jersey on March 26, 2024
$1.050 billion won in Michigan on January 22, 2021
$800 million won in Texas on September 10, 2024
$760 million on December 17, 2024? TBD
$552 million won in Illinois on June 4, 2024
$543 million won in California on July 24, 2018

When did lotto jackpots hit $1 billion or more for Mega Millions and Powerball? What are the biggest lottery jackpots in American history?

Per As of December 17, 2024, there have been 11 lottery jackpots that have reached or exceeded $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot exceeded $2 billion. These are the largest lottery jackpots in American history.

$2.04 Billion Powerball Prize, November 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
1.73 billion dollars Powerball Prize, October 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck from California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
1.586 billion dollars Powerball prize, January 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne BeachFlorida and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee
1.58 billion dollars Mega Millions prize, August 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
$1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, October 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
$1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, January 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
$1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
$1.326 Billion Powerball Prize April 6, 2024 Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
$1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey using the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor no. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
$1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
$1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, January 22, 2021, won by Wolverine FLL Club in Oakland County, Michigan

(This story will be updated to add new information.)