The Mega Millions jackpot has skyrocketed to a nearly $1.15 billion after no customer bought a winning lottery ticket that matched all six numbers in the Christmas Eve drawing.
This makes Friday's lottery drawing potentially the fifth-largest in the game's history, The Associated Press reported.
"We know that many people will likely receive tickets to Friday's drawing as holiday gifts, and what a gift it would be if you ended up with $1.15 billion jackpot," said Joshua Johnston, the lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium.
The odds of winning the grand prize stand at a 1 in 302.6 million, while the odds of claiming any prize are 1 in 24, lottery officials said.
Tickets are sold for $2 each in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Half of the proceeds from the lottery will go to the state where the winning ticket was purchased.
Drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. eastern time, and many hope their holiday tickets will transform seasonal dreams into billion dollar realities.
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