The Mega Millions jackpot is approaching $1 billion for the Christmas Eve lottery

A lucky lottery player could get a big gift on Christmas Eve: the Mega Millions jackpot is almost $1 billion.

Tuesday’s drawing is for an estimated $970 million, or $439.9 million in cash, according to the lottery. The jackpot has been rolling since it was last won for $810 million in Texas on September 10th.

No ticket matched all six numbers in the final drawing Friday nightwith white balls 2, 20, 51, 56 and 67, plus Mega Ball 19 in gold.

Only 13 Mega Millions jackpots have been won during December since the game began in 2022. If someone wins on Tuesday, it will mark just the second Mega Millions jackpot win on Christmas Eve. Someone won a $68 million jackpot in New York on Christmas Eve 2002, but that prize went unclaimed.

Very few Mega Millions jackpots have been won this year. It has only been won three times, which is the fewest won in a single year since the game began. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.

The current jackpot would be the seventh largest in history, according to Mega Millions. Last year, a winning player won in Florida biggest jackpot ever, win $1.602 billion in a drawing on August 8.

Mega Millions tickets are available in 45 out of 50 US states, in addition to Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands. Tickets are $2 each. game. Drawings are carried out at 11pm EST on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Beware of lottery scams

People planning to play the lottery should be careful lottery scam. According to the Federal Trade Commission, lottery scams usually involve getting a call, email, or letter saying you’ve won a lottery, sweepstakes, or prize. Some scams may ask people to pay money to access their winnings.

Mega Millions says no representative of the lottery would ever call, text or email anyone about winning a prize. The game also notes that large jackpots attract the attention of potential fraudsters.

“While people have to be alert all the time, it is especially true during periods of larger jackpots,” according to the lottery’s website.

Changes coming to Mega Millions

Mega Millions tickets will be more expensive next year. It will cost $5 per games starting in April 2025, more than double the current $2 per ticket.

The ticket price change will lead to bigger jackpots and better odds of winning, according to Mega Millions. The change in April will mark the second price increase since Mega Millions launched.

“We’re creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and be excited to play,” said Joshua Johnston, head of the Mega Millions Consortium, when the news was announced. “We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, which means creating more billionaires and many more millionaires as the jackpots increase, plus this game will continue the important legacy of supporting great causes everywhere Mega Millions is played.”