Mega Millions Leaning Into Holiday Spirit With Largest December Jackpot Ever

Mega Millions is living up to its name, as the jackpot for Tuesday night’s drawing has soared all the way to an estimated $760 million (with a $352.1 million cash value).

If that’s not “mega” enough for ya, well … not much we can do.

This jackpot — should it be won Tuesday, or any other day this month — would be the largest Mega Millions prize ever awarded in December. As it stands today, it would be the eighth largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

Last Friday night, no winner was crowned with white balls 36, 43, 52, 58, and 65 and a gold Mega Ball of 16.

Despite no one taking home the giant prize, four tickets were sold that matched the five white balls, making instant millionaires in California, New York, and Massachusetts — while the fourth, a player in Vermont, purchased the Megaplier, which 3x’d their winnings to $3 million.

Lottery Geeks estimates 30.1 million tickets were sold for last Friday’s drawing. 

The last time the Mega Millions came in was 95 days ago, when a single winning ticket was sold in Texas. That jackpot was valued at $810 million.

And the last time the jackpot was anywhere near this high this close to Santa season was back in 2013, when a $648 million prize hit and a pair of winners each claimed half the dough.

Don’t forget to Power up

Although the Powerball top prize is just a fraction of what Mega Millions is currently offering, it too continues to climb after Monday’s drawing — numbers 9, 30, 33, 57, and 61 with a red Powerball of 17 — did not yield a jackpot winner.

But one ticket-buyer in Colorado woke up with an extra $2 million in their stocking, as they hit all five white balls on a ticket that was purchased with the Power Play, which came in at 2x.

Lottery Geeks estimates nearly 7 million tickets were sold for Monday’s draw.

Wednesday’s drawing is up to an estimated $69 million, with a cash value of $32.2 million.

Tickets for either lottery cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option for an additional $1.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
3. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
4. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
5. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
6. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
7. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
9. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey
10. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California

And here’s the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
5. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
6. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
7. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
8. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $621 million, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
10. $558.1 million, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California