NEW YORK (WABC) – A Mega Millions ticket holder in California has a lot to celebrate after a single ticket sold in the state matched all six numbers drawn on December 27th.

Friday’s winning numbers – the white balls, 55, 7, 3, 37, 49 and the golden mega ball 6.”

The jackpot is worth an estimated $1.22 billion ($549.7 million in cash).

It is the fifth largest Mega Millions jackpot in history and the seventh Mega Millions jackpot to exceed $1 billion.

The winning ticket was sold in Cottonwood, California, in the northern part of the state.

Watch the Mega Millions drawings here every Tuesday and Friday at 10:59 p.m. ET

In the drawing on December 27th alone, 5,691,299 winning tickets were won across all prize categories in addition to the jackpot winning ticket. Five tickets matched the five white balls and won the game’s second prize. two were sold in California and one each in Arizona, Missouri and Texas.

The Mega Millions jackpot was last won in Texas on September 10, when it reached $810 million.

It’s only the fourth Mega Millions jackpot won in 2024, and with only one more drawing left this year, there’s a good chance the year will end with the fewest jackpots won since the game began in 2002. In addition to the Texas win, a $552 million prize went to an online player from Illinois on June 4 (the largest lottery prize ever won through an online ticket purchase), and a huge prize was won in New Jersey in March of $1.128 billion won 26.

Mega Millions ticket prices are set to rise from $2 to $5 in April. The increase will be one of many changes that officials say will result in improved jackpot odds, more frequent giant prizes and even bigger payouts.

According to Mega Millions, the current odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, DC and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Top Mega Millions Jackpots

1. $1.602 billion, August 8, 2023 (one ticket in Florida)
2. $1.537 billion, October 23, 2018 (one ticket in South Carolina)
3. $1.348 billion, January 13, 2023 (one ticket in Maine)
4. $1.337 billion, July 29, 2022 (one ticket in Illinois)
5. $1.22 billion, December 27, 2024 (one ticket in California)
6. $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024 (one ticket in New Jersey)
7. $1.050 billion, January 22, 2021 (one ticket in Michigan)
8. $810 million, September 10, 2024 (one ticket in Texas)
9. $656 million, March 30, 2012 (three tickets in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland)
10. $648 million, December 17, 2013 (two tickets sold in California, Georgia)

Here’s a look at the 10 largest U.S. jackpots won and the states where the winning tickets were sold:

1. $2.040 billion, Powerball, November 7, 2022 (one ticket: California)
2. $1.765 billion, Powerball, October 11, 2023 (one ticket: California)
3. $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, August 8, 2023 (one ticket: Florida)
4. $1.586 billion, Powerball, January 13, 2016 (three tickets: California, Florida and Tennessee)

5. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, October 23, 2018 (one ticket: South Carolina)
6. $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, January 13, 2023 (one ticket: Maine)
7. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022 (one ticket: Illinois)
8. $1.22 billion, December 27, 2024 (one ticket in California)
9. $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024 (one ticket in New Jersey)
10. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023 (one ticket: California)

WATCH: Live New York State Lottery drawings daily at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:15 p.m
Powerball The draws are also streamed here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m
Mega millions The draws will be streamed on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 p.m

Sources: AP archives, www.megamillions.com and www.powerball.com

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