Mega Millions Jackpot climbs to $1 billion ahead of Christmas Eve drawing
CNN
A lucky Mega Millions player might be in store for a $1 billion Christmas present this year.
A lucky Mega Millions player might be in store for a $1 billion Christmas present this year. The jackpot hit an estimated $1 billion ahead of Tuesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, Mega Millions announced. That’s a $448.8 million cash prize. It’s just the seventh time in the game’s 20-year history that the jackpot has soared past $1 billion, the lottery said. “The dream of that sum of money is just so much fun to think about, especially around the holidays, when there’s already a sense of magic in the air. Can you imagine going to bed and then waking up on December 25, checking your ticket and realizing you just won a $1 billion jackpot?” Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement. A Houston-area resident claimed the last jackpot, $810 million, after purchasing the winning ticket at a gas station convenience store in Sugar Land. Tickets cost $2, and the chances of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 302.5 million.