TRENTON (Dec. 20, 2024) – The Mega Millions jackpot now stands at about $862 million heading into tonight’s drawing. The cash value is $392.1 million.

If hit, the current jackpot would be the seventh largest in game history, and the largest ever won in the month of 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.

New Jersey has 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. All New Jersey Lottery Mega Millions tickets must be purchased before 10:45 p.m. to participate in the drawing. Mega Millions tickets cost two dollars; by adding the Megaplier option for an extra dollar per play, 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.