US lottery player wins staggering $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot

Ultra lucky California resident wins $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot

Friday’s win ended the popular lottery’s three-month drought of no jackpot winners. The ticket for the fifth largest prize in the game’s history was sold at a Sunshine Food and Gas station in Cottonwood, 146 miles north of Sacramento. “What an amazing present this holiday season!” said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium.

“At an incredibly special time of year, this is both an incredibly special moment for our winner, and for all the great organizations and causes that benefit from lottery ticket sales around the country,” Johnston added, per New York Post. The winner can claim the estimated $1.22 billion in annual payouts or a one-time cash payout of $549.7 million.

It marked the 37th time a Mega Millions jackpot was won in California. The Golden State is second to New York, with 44 jackpot winners. Five additional ticketholders, hailing from Arizona, Missouri, Texas, and California, walked away with $1 million each. Back in March, a New Jersey resident clinched the $1.13 billion jackpot, which was considered the fifth-largest prize in Mega Millions history at the time.

For the next drawing, set to take place December 31, Mega Millions will revert back to $20 million. Following Friday’s record win, the lottery revealed that a jackpot has never been won on New Year’s Eve. Additionally, the game will undergo a “mega overhaul” next Spring, with prices being increased to $5 per ticket in sharp contrast to the current $2.