A California player won the $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot on December 27, 2024, ending a three-month dry spell with no grand prize winners. The ticket, sold at Sunshine Food and Gas station in Cottonwood, matched all six numbers, beating the 1 in 302,575,350 odds. The winner can opt for annual payouts or a lump sum of about $549.7 million. Five other players won $1 million each. The win marks the fourth jackpot of the year, and it is the fifth-largest in Mega Millions history. The next drawing, set for December 31, will return to a $20 million jackpot.
This marks one of the last opportunities for Mega Millions players before the lottery game undergoes significant changes in spring 2025, including a price increase for tickets from $2 to $5, offering higher cash prizes in the future.
