Winning ticket for the estimated $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot sold in California. Here are the numbers.

At least one Mega millions The player will be able to ring in the New Year after receiving a winning ticket for the estimated amount A $1.22 billion jackpot was sold in California.

On Friday evening, the winning numbers were drawn for the fifth largest jackpot in the game’s history. The winning numbers were 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and a Mega Ball of 6.

“What a great gift this holiday season! At an incredibly special time of year, this is an incredibly special moment for both our winner and all the great organizations and charities that benefit from lottery ticket sales across the country,” said Joshua Johnston, Executive Director of the Mega Millions Consortium CBS Sacramento.

The winner of Friday’s drawing was sold at a Circle K store in Cottonwood, California. The identity of the winner(s) was not initially known.

Before Friday night’s drawing, there had been no winner since an $810 million jackpot was won in Texas on September 10.

“Ticket sales are going through the roof,” a Mega Millions spokesperson told CBS News on Friday, adding that once a jackpot reaches that level, there is often a corresponding increase in ticket sales.

The cash option for winners who take a lump sum payout is now an estimated $549.7 million – an increase of $33.6 million from a few days ago, the spokesman said. Winners can claim the cash payout or the $1.22 billion annuity paid out over 30 years.

Only three Mega Millions jackpots were won this year – the fewest in any year since the game’s inception. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.

A Mega Millions spokesman said winners are possible at all prize levels, even if there is no jackpot winner. On Christmas Eve there were four tickets corresponding to the five white balls for the game’s second prize. They were sold in California, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.

If someone wins, it would be the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. (All totals are before taxes.)

The best Mega Millions jackpots

The largest Mega Millions jackpot to date was $1.602 billion in August 2023. There was a winning ticket sold in Florida. Here is a list of the other top jackpot totals, courtesy of Mega Millions:

Aliza Chasan and Brian Dakss contributed to this report.