Happy New Year indeed! Christmas, Hanukkah and the holiday season is almost over, but for one lucky lottery player, the season continues to bear gifts.
After four months of rollover drawings, one ticket in California correctly matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the $1.22 billion Mega Millions drawing for Friday, Dec. 27, 2024.
According to a press release from the California Lottery, the ticket was sold at a Circle K in the small town of Cottonwood. The convenience store on Rhonda Road in Shasta County will receive a $1,000,000 bonus. Retail bonuses vary by state — for example, two Publix stores in Florida received $100,000 each during previous billion-dollar jackpots (see below). The $1,000,000 bonus is the largest amount a California Lottery retail partner can earn, the news release states.
Since Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, — which was one of two Friday the 13th holidays during this lottery streak — the Mega Millions grand prize grew from $20 million to $1.22 billion for the Dec. 27 drawing. Final ticket sales pushed the grand total to $1.269 billion. The California Lottery said it raised an estimated $89.5 million for public schools during this lottery streak, spokeswoman Carolyn Becker said in the news release.
“Raising a little extra money for public education is the whole reason the California Lottery exists,” Becker said in the email. “We always love to see our players win giant jackpots, but we take even more pride in knowing that public schools are already winning no matter what. Big jackpots like this help fuel strong sales, which – in turn – helps us raise even more for education.”
What were Mega Millions numbers for Friday, December 27, 2024, lottery drawing? 3-7-37-49-55 and the Mega Ball was 6
Mega Millions lottery drawings are at 11 p.m. EST Tuesdays and Fridays. Friday, Dec. 27, winning Mega Millions numbers were 3-7-37-49-55 and the Mega Ball was 6. Megaplier was 3x.
In addition to the grand prize winner, there were secondary winners in the Dec. 27 drawing, according to Mega Millions online:
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Two tickets in California matched five numbers to win $3 million. Chevron at Blue Oaks Boulevard and Foothill Boulevard in Roseville, California, and Cardenas Market, 2405 E. Highland Ave., in San Bernardino, California, sold those winning tickets, according to the California Lottery.
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One ticket in Arizona matched five numbers to win $3 million.
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One ticket in Missouri matched five numbers to win $3 million.
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One ticket in Texas matched five numbers to win $3 million.
How much is the lump sum for $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot? How much will the California winner get before taxes?
The sole jackpot winner has the choice of taking $1.269 billion over 30 annual payments or taking the lump sum, valued at nearly $571.9 million before federal taxes. The state of California does not tax lottery winnings.
How long to claim $1.22 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot?
Because the winning ticket was purchased in California, the winner has one year from the date of the drawing to come forward, according to California Lottery rules. Anyone else with a secondary prize-winning ticket purchased in California has six months to claim.
Lottery rules vary by state. In Florida, for example, Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners have 60 days to claim the one-time lump sum and six months from the date of the drawing for the annual payments.
When is the next Mega Millions lottery drawing?
Mega Millions drawings are at 11 p.m. EST Tuesdays and Fridays. The next Mega Millions lottery drawing will be at 11 p.m. EST Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, New Year’s Eve, and the last day of 2024.
Top 10 biggest Mega Millions lottery jackpots
As of Dec. 28, 2024, these are the largest Mega Millions prizes in the history of the game, according to megamillions.com.
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The largest Mega Millions jackpot won on a single ticket was for $1.58 billion for Aug. 8, 2023, drawing. Final sales pushed the grand 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.
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The second-largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018.
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$1.348 billion won in Maine on Jan. 13, 2023
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$1.337 billion won in Illinois on July 29, 2022
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$1.22 billion on Dec. 27, winner TBD from California
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$1.128 billion won in Neptune, New Jersey, on March 26, 2024
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$1.050 billion won in Michigan on Jan. 22, 2021
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$800 million won in Texas on Sept. 10, 2024
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$552 million won in Illinois on June 4, 2024
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$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 US history?
As of Dec. 28, 2024, there have been 12 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. These are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
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$1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
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$1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
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$1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
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$1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
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$1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
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$1.22 billion Mega Millions, Dec. 27, California, winner TBD
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$1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
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$1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
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$1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Who won Mega Millions $1.22 billion jackpot? Ticket sold in California