Mega Millions prize rises to $1 billion prior to the draw on Christmas Eve

The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to $1 billion ahead of the Christmas Eve drawing.

Lottery officials announced the historic win in a news release published on Tuesday, December 24, the day of the big draw. The winner, or winners, could walk away with $448.8 million if they choose the cash option.

“Can you imagine going to bed and then waking up on December 25th, checking your ticket and realizing you’ve just won a $1 billion jackpot?” Joshua Johnston, executive director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement.

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It is the seventh time in Mega Millions history that the jackpot has passed the billion-dollar mark, lottery officials said. And according to NBC Newswould it be the biggest prize won in December if anyone wins.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been building since September 10, when the then $810 million prize was won in Texas. 29 have been drawn since Christmas Eve, but no one has won the big prize.

“The dream of that amount of money is just so much fun to think about, especially around the holidays when there’s already a sense of magic in the air,” Johnson said in his statement.

The Christmas Eve Mega Millions drawing takes place at 11 p.m. ET. The drawing video “will be available through the Mega Millions website” shortly after the telecast. Tickets for the game are $2 each.