Friday, December 27, 2024, $1.22 billion

On By Littum

What time does the Mega Millions lottery draw take place? 11:00 PM EST Tuesdays and Fridays.

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  • Edwin Castro of Altadena, California is the biggest lottery winner in US history and won the $2.04 billion November 2022 Powerball.

Will a $2 Mega Millions ticket get you one billionaire this holiday season? As they say in the lottery world, “it could happen to you.”

After no one matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday, December 20th Mega Millions drawing for $862 million, the top prize jumped to $944 million in a matter of hours. A few days later, however, the total grew to $970 million, according to Mega Millions online. On Tuesday evening – Christmas Eve – the jackpot hit 1 billion. This is the 12th time in history that a Mega Millions or Powerball lottery jackpot has reached $1 billion. Only once has a lottery jackpot here exceeded $2 billion (see below).

As of Friday, Dec. 27, the Mega Millions jackpot was estimated at $1.22 billion, with a one-time cash option of $549.7 million, according to Mega Millions online. On Friday, December 27, the winning Mega Millions numbers were 3-7-37-49-55 and the Mega Ball was 6. Megaplier was 3x. We will see if there is a billion dollar jackpot winner or another rollover.

In case you’re wondering, on Tuesday, December 24, the Christmas Eve Mega Millions winning numbers were 11-14-38-45-46 and the Mega Ball was 3. The Megaplier was 3x. While those numbers led to a rollover, it wasn’t all bad news: There were four big winners in Tuesday night’s drawing. Tickets purchased in California, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wyoming all matched 5 to $1 million prizes.

Less than two weeks ago, the Tuesday, December 17, drawing produced bizarre lottery totals — and several secondary wins: A ticket from North Carolina matched 5 plus Megaplier for a $4 million prize. Two tickets purchased in California and one in Louisiana and Oklahoma each matched 5 for $1 million prizes. On Tuesday, December 17, the winning Mega Millions numbers were 56-66-67-68-69 and the Mega Ball was 18.

Interestingly, that’s not the only oddity in this particular lottery streak, which began on, of all days, September 13, 2024, or Friday the 13th for $20 million.

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If this lottery streak continues with another transition, there are still chances for a jackpot winner this holiday season.

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!

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What were the Mega Millions numbers for the Friday, December 27, 2024, drawing? 3-7-37-49-55 and Mega Ball was 6th

Mega Millions draws are at 11pm EST Tuesdays and Fridays. On Friday, December 27, the winning Mega Millions numbers were 3-7-37-49-55 and the Mega Ball was 6. Megaplier was 3x.

A nice holiday: Will the Mega Millions lottery jackpot reach $1 billion by Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve?

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 Tuesday, December 31, 2024, New Year’s Eve and the last day of 2024.

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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.

  • Friday, December 27: 1.22 billion
  • Tuesday, December 24, 2024 or Christmas Eve: $970 million
  • Friday, December 20: $862 million
  • Tuesday, December 17: $760 million
  • Friday, December 13 or Friday the 13th: $695 million
  • Tuesday, December 10: $619 million
  • Friday, December 6: 579 million dollars
  • 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 dollars
  • 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 1 October: 93 million dollars
  • 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

Record win: After the $2.04 billion Powerball, Edwin Castro bought 2 multimillion dollar houses in 2 weeks

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.”

However, 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 27, 2024, it is the largest Mega Millions prizes in the game’s history, according to megamillions.com.

  1. 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 prize.
  2. The second largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on October 23, 2018.
  3. $1.348 billion won in Maine on January 13, 2023
  4. $1.337 billion won in Illinois on July 29, 2022
  5. $1.22 billion on December 27, wins TBD
  6. $1.128 billion won in Neptune, New Jersey on March 26, 2024
  7. $1.050 billion won in Michigan on January 22, 2021
  8. $800 million won in Texas on September 10, 2024
  9. $552 million won in Illinois on June 4, 2024
  10. $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 27, 2024, there have been 12 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.

  1. $2.04 Billion Powerball Prize, November 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
  2. 1.73 billion dollars Powerball Prize, October 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck from California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
  3. 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
  4. 1.58 billion dollars Mega Millions prize, August 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
  5. $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, October 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
  6. $1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, January 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
  7. $1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
  8. $1.326 Billion Powerball Prize April 6, 2024 Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
  9. $1.22 Billion Mega Millions, December 27, winner TBD
  10. $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
  11. $1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
  12. $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.)

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.