Lucky ticket sold in California can claim $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot

A lucky lottery ticketholder in California holds the winning ticket from Friday night's drawing for the $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot.A winning ticket sold in Cottonwood, Calif., means a fine finish to the winner's 2024 as the Mega Millions jackpot, estimated at $1.22 billion, has a cash option payout of $549.7 million, according to the lottery.The winning of the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot in history comes in a year which had seen the least amount of jackpot winners in a calendar year, with only three jackpot winners so far. The last one was in Texas on Sept. 10, when a lucky person won a $552 million jackpot.Friday's drawing also yielded five $1 million winners, the lottery said.“Congratulations to our $1.22 billion jackpot winner from California,” said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, in a press release. “At an incredibly special time of year, this is both an incredibly special moment for our winner, and for all the great organizations and causes that benefit from lottery ticket sales around the country. Thank you to everyone who plays. Because of you, we have winners all around the country taking home cash prizes both big and small, and we have educational causes, parks and many other great organizations benefiting as well.”Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors.Here is the other information about Friday’s drawing.Did anyone win the Mega Millions? Yes, a winning ticket for the $1.22 billion jackpot was sold in Cottonwood, Calif., a town of about 6,300 located 200 miles north of San Francisco.The ticket was purchased at Sunshine Food and Gas at 3505 Rhonda Road, according to the California Lottery.To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website.Mega Millions winning numbers for 12/27/24The winning numbers from the Friday, Dec. 27 Mega Millions drawing were white ball numbers 3, 7, 37, 49 and 55, plus the gold Mega Ball 6 and a multiplier of 3X, the lottery said.Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.How to play the Mega MillionsTo play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at a variety of locations, including your local convenience store, gas station, or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online.Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 25.If you’re feeling especially unlucky, or don’t want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a "Quick Pick" or an "Easy Pick.” These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.For an extra dollar, players can add the “Megaplier,” which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, or five times. The Megaplier is drawn before six Mega Millions numbers are drawn.There are 15 Megapiler balls in all:2X, five balls3X, six balls4X, three balls5X, one ballWhere can you buy lottery tickets?Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.You can also order tickets online throughJackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visitjackpocket.com/tos for full terms.Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.