Mega Millions ticket sold in Georgia wins $980M jackpot – NBC Los Angeles

The drought without a Mega Millions jackpot winner is over.

A ticket sold in Georgia matched the winning numbers that were drawn Friday night for the estimated $980 million jackpot. The winning numbers were 1, 8, 11, 12, 57 and a Mega Ball of 7.

The jackpot, which was initially announced at an estimated $965 million, is the eighth-largest grand prize in Mega Millions history. The winner also has a cash option of $452.2 million.

The jackpot victory ends the longest streak without a grand prize awarded in the game’s 23-year history. This was the 40th drawing since the last jackpot hit in late June.

The seven jackpots in Mega Millions history worth more than $980 million were all above the $1 billion mark. The game’s largest jackpot win was $1.602 billion in 2023.

In addition to the jackpot win, there was also a ticket sold in Michigan that fetched a $3 million prize for matching all five white balls.

Some states let lottery winners stay incognito to protect them from unwanted attention, scams or people wanting to borrow money. Here’s where you can stay anonymous if you hit the jackpot.

The Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings taking place on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The odds of winning the jackpot are a minuscule 1 in 290,472,336.

The next Mega Millions drawing, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 11 p.m. ET, has an estimated jackpot of $50 million and a cash option of $23.2 million.

Forty-five states plus Washington, D.C., participate in the Mega Millions drawings. Find out which state has hit the jackpot the most and what numbers seem to come up most often.