Winning $1.22B Mega Millions ticket sold in California, but Georgians take home $60K

ATLANTA — Someone in California will start the new year off as a billionaire after winning Friday night’s $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

One person was able to match all five numbers and the Megaball to win the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

While the winning ticket was sold on the other side of the country, four Georgians did match enough of the numbers to win thousands of dollars.

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Four tickets were just one number off, matching four of the five numbers and the Megaball. Three of them were worth $10,000 each and one had a 3x Megaplier, which made the ticket worth $30,000.

The last time someone won the Mega Millions jackpot was on September 10 when the jackpot was $810 million.

In April 2025, the price of a Mega Millions ticket will more than double from $2 to $5.

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In Georgia, winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prizes. The most recent jackpot winner from Georgia was the $478.2 million Powerball jackpot in October.

The Georgia Lottery Corp. has made significant contributions to the state’s educational programs, returning over $28.3 billion since its inception.

More than 2.1 million students have benefited from HOPE scholarships, and over 2 million 4-year-olds have participated in the voluntary prekindergarten program statewide.

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