Mega Millions Jackpot past $1 bn as no numbers match on X'mas eve drawing

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Hang onto those stocking-stuffer lottery tickets. The Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed US$ 1 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Christmas Eve. That means the estimated jackpot for Friday's drawing is US$ 1.15 billion, potentially the fifth-largest jackpot in the game's history. 

“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 US$ 1.15 billion jackpot,” Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium said in a Wednesday statement. 

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, while the odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, according to lottery officials. 

Tickets for the game are sold in 45 states, along with Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands. Mega Millions tickets are US$ 2 a piece. Half of the proceeds from the sale of each ticket remains in the state where the ticket was sold. Drawings are held at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

“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 fulfil the dreams that come with a prize like this and prizes that will be won at all levels of the game," Johnston said.