The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $1 billion for Tuesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, marking only the seventh time in the game’s history that the prize has crossed the billion-dollar threshold.
What Happened: The winning numbers drawn on Dec. 24 are 38, 45, 14, 46, and 11, with a Mega Ball of 3 and a 3X Megaplier. The cash option stands at $448.8 million, representing the largest December prize in the game’s history.
The massive jackpot comes during what has been an unusually quiet year for lottery winners. Only three Mega Millions jackpots have been claimed in 2024, the lowest number of wins since the game’s inception.
The last winner emerged in Texas on Sep. 10, with 29 consecutive drawings passing without a grand prize winner.
Why It Matters: The odds of winning remain extraordinarily steep at 1 in 302,575,350. For perspective, the probability of being struck by lightning or encountering a grizzly bear attack in Yellowstone National Park (1 in 3.5 million) is significantly higher.
History shows that massive lottery wins can bring unexpected challenges. Jack Whittaker, who won a $315 million Powerball jackpot on Christmas in 2002, faced numerous personal tragedies and legal disputes following his win. Abraham Shakespeare, who won $17 million in 2006, was murdered three years later by someone who befriended him after his win.
Mega Millions tickets, priced at $2 each, are available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A win on Christmas Eve would mark only the second time in the game’s history that a jackpot has been claimed on Dec 24.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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