After $1.22 billion winner, Mega Millions back at $20 million for New Year’s Eve drawing

Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, is the largest lottery winner in US history, winning $2.04 billion Powerball in November 2022.A $2 Mega Millions ticket made one lucky winner a billionaire this holiday season. Like they say in the lottery world, “it could happen to you.”On Christmas Eve 2024, the jackpot hit $1 billion. It was the 12th time in history that a Mega Millions or Powerball lottery jackpot reached $1 billion. Only once has a lottery jackpot here surpassed $2 billion (see below).On Friday, Dec. 27, Mega Millions ballooned to $1.22 billion, with final ticket sales pushing the grand total to $1.269 billion, according to Mega Millions online. The next day, the Florida Lottery reported one ticket in California matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball. The winner has a year from the date of the draw to claim the prize. The jackpot officially reset to $20 million for Tuesday, Dec. 31, or New Year’s Eve — a week after Mega Millions reached $1 billion. The New Year’s Eve 2024 winning numbers were 13-22-27-29-35 and the Mega Ball was 1. Megaplier was 2x. We’ll see if there’s a holiday winner!Lucky day!1 player in California won $1.269 billion Mega Millions: What we know about the winnerIn case you’re wondering, Friday, Dec. 27, winning Mega Millions numbers were 3-7-37-49-55 and the Mega Ball was 6. Megaplier was 3x.In addition to the $1.269 billion jackpot winner, there were five secondary winners in Friday night's drawing. Two tickets purchased in California and a ticket from Missouri, Arizona and Texas all matched 5 for $1 million prizes.Mega Millions tickets start at $2 apiece. Below are some frequently asked questions about the game, when winning tickets expire in Florida (it differs state by state) and lottery odds. Good luck!What were Mega Millions numbers for Tuesday, December 31, 2024, New Year’s Eve lottery drawing? 13-22-27-29-35 and the Mega Ball was 1Mega Millions lottery drawings are at 11 p.m. EST Tuesdays and Fridays. Tuesday, Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve, winning Mega Millions numbers were 13-22-27-29-35 and the Mega Ball was 1. Megaplier was 2x. We’ll see if there’s a winner, a “match five” winner or a rollover.When is the next Mega Millions lottery drawing?Mega Millions drawings are at 11 p.m. EST Tuesdays and Fridays. The next Mega Millions lottery drawing will be at 11 p.m. EST Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.Could Mega Millions tickets rise to $5?Mega Millions expected to hike ticket prices, make Megaplier changes in 2025. What we knowHow long has Mega Millions rolled over?After nearly four months of rollovers, the last Mega Millions lottery streak included two Friday the 13th holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah before someone in California won $1.22 billion for matching all five numbers and the Mega Ball.Below is a recap of lottery drawings for this latest streak and how the jackpot grew over time.Tuesday, Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve: $20 millionRecord-setting win:After $2.04 billion Powerball, Edwin Castro bought 2 multimillion-dollar homes in 2 weeksHow long do you have to cash in a winning Florida Lottery ticket?Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?The odds of winning are pretty low. According to the Mega Millions site, players have a 1 in 302,575,350 chance to match all five white balls plus the gold Mega Ball. Prizes range from $2 (for matching the Mega Ball) to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.Does the Florida Lottery reveal lottery winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?According to Florida Lottery's website, winners cannot remain anonymous: "Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner's name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information."However, the site states, the "names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner."Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.Top 10 biggest Mega Millions lottery jackpotsAs of Dec. 31, 2024, New Year’s Eve, these are the largest Mega Millions prizes in the history of the game, according to megamillions.com.The largest Mega Millions jackpot won on a single ticket was for $1.58 billion for Aug. 8, 2023, drawing. Final sales pushed the grand prize to $1.602 billion. The winning ticket was sold at a Neptune Beach, Florida, Publix. Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida, claimed the prize.The second-largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018.$1.348 billion won in Maine on Jan. 13, 2023$1.337 billion won in Illinois on July 29, 2022$1.22 billion on Dec. 27, winner TBD from California$1.128 billion won in Neptune, New Jersey, on March 26, 2024$1.050 billion won in Michigan on Jan. 22, 2021$800 million won in Texas on Sept. 10, 2024$552 million won in Illinois on June 4, 2024$543 million won in California on July 24, 2018When did lotto jackpots hit $1 billion or more for Mega Millions and Powerball? What are the biggest lottery jackpots in US history?As of Dec. 31, 2024, New Year’s Eve, there have been 12 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. These are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.$2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California$1.73 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)$1.586 billion Powerball prize, Jan. 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee$1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida$1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina$1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine$1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois$1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon$1.22 billion Mega Millions, Dec. 27, winner TBD$1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey$1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California$1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan(This story will be updated to add new information.)Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. 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