At least one US lottery player has plenty to celebrate as they ring in the new year after winning an estimated 1.22 billion dollars (£970 million) on Friday’s Mega Millions draw.
After three months without anyone securing the top prize, the winning ticket matched the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and the gold Mega Ball 6.
The identity of the winner or winners was not immediately known but the California Lottery said the ticket was sold at Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) in Cottonwood, a town 160 miles north of the state capital, Sacramento.
The Mega Millions jackpot can be paid out in two ways: either the full amount as an annuity across 29 years or as a reduced cash sum – which nearly all grand prize winners opt to take – with Friday night’s prize an estimated lump sum of 549.7 million dollars (£437 million)
The jackpot was last won on September 10 and the draw has odds of 1 in 302.6 million.
The largest-ever Mega Millions prize, worth 1.6 billion dollars, was sold in Florida in August 2023.
Two jackpots for its compatriot Powerball lottery have been larger.