Mega Millions jackpot soars to an estimated $1.15 billion after no winners on Christmas Eve
CNNCNN — This holiday season, a lucky Mega Millions player might receive a $1.15 billion belated Christmas gift after no one won Tuesday’s jackpot. “We know that many people will likely receive tickets to Friday’s drawing as holiday gifts, and what a gift that would turn out to be if you ended up with a ticket worth a $1.15 billion jackpot,” Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement. The holiday drawing is part of what the Mega Millions organization is calling the “most unusual jackpot year.” The jackpot has been won only three times so far in 2024 – the fewest wins in any single year since the game began in 2002, the lottery said. Starting April 2025, tickets will cost $5 per play, Mega Millions announced this October, along with a spate of “enhancements,” including improved odds, more frequent and larger jackpots and bigger starting jackpots.