By: Najla Alexander
NJ Lottery officials announced that the Mega Millions jackpot is now about $862 million, with a cash value of $392.1 million, heading into tonight’s drawing.
According to NJ lottery officials, if hit, the current jackpot would be the seventh largest in game history and the largest ever won in December.
It is also the largest since Sept. 10, when a Texas player drew the winning numbers for an $810 million jackpot. The largest jackpot in game history was $1.6 billion, won by a Maine player in 2023.
Massive wins this year came in June when a player in Illinois hit $560 million after the well-publicized $1.13 billion jackpot a New Jersey ticket won in March, lottery officials stated.
NJ lottery officials said that New Jersey had luck on this date: on Dec. 20, 2007, a player at D’Amico Food Store in Edison, Middlesex County, won the Pick-6 jackpot of $9.5 million.
The next drawing is 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20., lottery officials said.
To participate in the drawing, all New Jersey Lottery Mega Millions tickets must be purchased before 10:45 p.m. Mega Millions tickets cost two dollars; by adding the Megaplier option for an extra dollar per play, lottery officials say, players can increase their non-jackpot winnings up to five times.
Mega Millions tickets are sold in 47 participating U.S. jurisdictions. Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays.