California ticket wins Friday’s $1.22 billion Mega Millions drawing

On By Littum

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A lucky lottery ticket holder in California is in possession of the winning ticket from Friday night’s drawing for the $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

A winning ticket sold in Cottonwood, Calif., marks a fine end to the winner’s 2024, as the Mega Millions jackpot, estimated at $1.22 billion, has a cash option of $549.7 million, according to the lottery.

The winning of the fifth largest Mega Millions jackpot in history comes in a year that had seen the fewest number of jackpot winners in a calendar year, with only three jackpot winners so far. The last one one was in Texas on September 10, when one lucky person won a $552 million jackpot.

Friday’s drawing also produced five $1 million winners, the lottery said.

“Congratulations to our $1.22 billion jackpot winner from California,” Joshua Johnston, executive director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a press release. “At an incredibly special time of year, this is both an incredibly special moment for our winner and for all the great organizations and causes that benefit from the sale of lottery tickets around the country. Thanks to everyone who plays. Because of you, we have winners around the country taking home cash prizes, both big and small, and we also have educational causes, parks and many other great organizations benefiting.”

Here is the other information about Friday’s drawing.

Did anyone win the Mega Millions?

Yes, a winning ticket for the $1.22 billion jackpot was sold in Cottonwood, California, a town of about 6,300 people located 200 miles north of San Francisco.

The ticket was purchased at Sunshine Food and Gas at 3505 Rhonda Road, according to the California lottery.

To see the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website.

Mega Millions winning numbers for 12/27/24

The winning numbers from the Mega Millions drawing on Friday December 27 white ball numbers were 3, 7, 37, 49 and 55, plus Mega Ball 6 in gold and a multiplier of 3X, said the lottery.

Winning lotto numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier from the USA TODAY Network.

How to play Mega Millions

To play Mega Millions, you need to buy a ticket. You can do this in a variety of places, including your local convenience store, gas station, or even the grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be purchased online.

Once you have your ticket, select six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The Gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 25.

If you’re feeling particularly unlucky or don’t want to go through the trouble of choosing, you can ask for a “Quick Select”or a”Easy choice.” These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.

For an extra dollar, players can add the “Megaplier,” which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, or five times. Megapliers are drawn before six Mega Millions numbers are drawn.

There are 15 Megapillar balls in total:

  • 2X, five balls
  • 3X, six balls
  • 4X, three balls
  • 5X, one bullet

Where can I buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and convenience stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online via Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier from the USA TODAY Networkin these US states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, DC and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to select your lottery game and numbers, place your order, view your ticket and collect your winnings all from your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn money for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any state lottery. Gambling problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trendy news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him at X @fern_cerv_.