A lucky player of the Mega Millions lottery is set to celebrate the New Year with a significant financial boost after hitting the jackpot. After a dry spell lasting three months without a top prize winner, a ticket valued at approximately $1.22 billion was purchased in California for the drawing held on Friday night, as announced on the Mega Millions website.
The California Lottery confirmed that the winning ticket was sold at Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) located on Rhonda Road in Cottonwood, approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Sacramento. The ticket successfully matched the winning numbers: 3, 7, 37, 49, 55, along with the gold Mega Ball, which was 6. Ishar Gill, the son of the store’s owner, expressed his excitement and noted that the win was a remarkable “blessing” for their small community of around 6,000 residents. At this time, the identity of the winner or winners has not been disclosed.
“We have no idea who the lucky winner might be or who sold the ticket,” Gill stated. “However, we extend our congratulations to them.”
For a winner opting for the total jackpot amount, the funds would be allocated as an annuity distributed over a span of 29 years. Nonetheless, it is common for grand prize winners to select a cash payment, which for this most recent drawing is estimated at $549.7 million.
Despite the incredibly low odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continued to buy tickets as the jackpot swelled. Up until Friday, the last Mega Millions jackpot was won on September 10.
The record for the largest Mega Millions jackpot was set when a ticket worth $1.6 billion was sold in Florida in August 2023. In contrast, two Powerball lottery prizes have exceeded this amount.
Mega Millions and Powerball tickets are available in 45 states, alongside Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with Powerball also being sold in Puerto Rico.
In an upcoming change, Mega Millions ticket prices are set to rise from $2 to $5 in April. This increase is part of various adjustments that officials believe will enhance jackpot odds, lead to more frequent massive prizes, and result in even larger payouts for players.
