Mega Millions Jackpot Keeps Rolling Through Holidays, Top Prize Reaches $1.15B

Mega Millions didn't provide a transformative present on Christmas Eve since no ticket matched all six drawn numbers on Tuesday evening. 

The Mega Millions jackpot increased for the 30th time after no one won the game’s main prize. The numbers that won on Tuesday were 1, 14, 38, 45, and 46, along with the gold Mega Ball 3. 

Mega Millions representatives project that the jackpot for Friday night's drawing will hit $1.15 billion. That would be considered the fifth-highest prize in the game's history. Mega Millions originated in 1996 when it first launched as The Big Game. 

The Mega Millions Consortium, responsible for managing the interstate lottery game for its 47 member jurisdictions, states that the prize is increasing rapidly during the holiday season of gift-giving. 

"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,” said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holidays — whether Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or any other way people choose to celebrate the season — than by helping fulfill the dreams that come with a prize like this and prizes that will be won at all levels of the game.”

The estimated one-time cash option for Friday's drawing is approximately $516.1 million. The chances of any ticket winning the jackpot are only one in over 302.5 million. 

Jackpot Just Misses Out on Winners 

Over 100 tickets nearly won Tuesday night’s jackpot. A total of 110 tickets matched five out of the six balls. 

Four tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. None of the tickets bought the $1 add-on Megaplier, which could have multiplied their winnings to $3 million after the Megaplier landed on 3x. The chances of matching all five white balls are one in 12.6 million. 

Additionally, 116 tickets matched the four white balls along with the gold Mega Ball, winning $10K each, which is the game's third-highest prize. The chances of a ticket aligning with that combination are one in 931,000. Thirteen of those tickets included the Megaplier to win $30,000. 

Moreover, there were 2,621 tickets that matched four white balls to win $500 prizes, with 452 of them including the Megaplier for a total of $1,500. The chances are one in 38,792. 

The majority of Tuesday's winning tickets — over 2.8 million plays — only matched the gold Mega Ball to reclaim their $2 bet. A total of 516,461 tickets purchased the Megaplier. The chances of recouping your original bet are one in 37, since there are 37 gold Mega Balls. 

Upcoming Price Increase 

Starting in April, the price of a standard Mega Millions ticket will surge 285% to $5. The total number of balls, and thus the probability for the jackpot, will stay unchanged. Every ticket will automatically include the Megaplier, ensuring that every winning ticket yields more than the initial $5 bet. 

The present Megaplier enhances nonjackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, and 5x. In April, a 10x Megaplier will also be in effect.