There’s no time like the holidays, right?

Nine months after winning the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history, the sole winner has submitted the $1.128 billion ticket to begin collecting prizes.

The ticket was drawn March 26 at a Monmouth County ShopRite in Neptune Township and matched winning numbers 07, 11, 22, 29 and 38, as well as Gold Mega Ball number 04 and multiplier number 02.

According to the New Jersey Lottery, the New Jersey player has chosen to remain anonymous. A 2020 state law allows lottery winners to remain anonymous indefinitely, and winners’ identities will not be included in materials publicly viewable under the state’s Open Public Records Act. Players who claim lottery prizes valued at at least $600 must still provide their identity to lottery officials to receive a prize.

Mega Millions is a lottery game that costs $2 per play in which players select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25 made of gold. If a player doesn’t want to select the number, they can do a quick pick. The machine will randomly select their numbers.

To win the jackpot, a player must match all six numbers, including the Mega Ball.

Here’s what you need to know about the next drawing:

When do Mega Millions drawings take place? Here are the Mega Millions drawing days

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesdays and Fridays.

When do Mega Millions drawings take place?

Mega Millions drawings occur at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which is 10:00 p.m. Central Time, 9:00 p.m. Mountain Time and 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

On which days do Powerball drawings take place?

Powerball drawings take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m

When is the next Mega Millions drawing?

The next Mega Millions drawing will take place on Tuesday, December 24th at 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT.

How much is the Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing?

The jackpot for Friday’s drawing is currently an estimated $970 million, with a cash option of $439.9 million.

With a win of $970 million, it would be the largest prize ever won in December and the seventh largest in the game’s history, according to Mega Millions.

How much does a Mega Millions ticket cost?

Mega Millions tickets are currently $2 in 2024.

Starting in April, Mega Millions tickets will increase from $2 to $5, but the lottery said price increases will result in larger prizes.

When was the last Mega Millions jackpot won?

The last time a player won the Mega Millions jackpot was on September 10, when the jackpot was $800 million.

The winning ticket was sold in Texas. The award was won by Sol Living Trust of Sugar Land, Texas.

Previously, a $552 million jackpot was won on June 4 in Illinois and a $1.128 billion jackpot was won on March 26 in Neptune Township, New Jersey.

Attorney Andrew Stoltmann has represented twelve lottery winners, many of whom lost their entire winnings due to bad investments, reckless spending and greedy relatives. “Unfortunately, at this point, lottery winners think the journey is over. And they don’t realize that the journey has just begun,” says Chicago-based Stoltmann.

The best Mega Millions jackpots in history

The highest Mega Millions jackpots in history are:

• $1.602 billion – 08/08/2023 – 1 winning ticket in Florida
• $1.537 billion – 10/23/2018 – 1 winning ticket in South Carolina
• $1.348 billion – 01/13/2023 – 1 winning ticket in Maine
• $1.337 billion – 07/29/2022 – 1 winning ticket in Illinois
• $1.128 billion – 03/26/2024 – 1 winning ticket in New Jersey
• $1.050 Billion – 01/22/2021 – 1 winning ticket in Michigan
• $862 million – 12/20/2024 – slated for Friday’s drawing, the figure is an estimate
• $810 million – 09/10/2024 – 1 winning ticket in Texas
• $656 million – 03/30/2012 – 3 winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
• $648 million – 12/17/2013 – 2 winning tickets in California and Georgia

If you or If someone you know is addicted to gambling, please call the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700 speak to a consultant. Help is also available through an online peer support forum at www.gamtalk.orgFor more resources, see NCPG website.