The Christmas Eve Mega Millions jackpot is approaching $1 billion

The Mega Millions jackpot inched even closer to the billion-dollar mark ahead of the fast-approaching Christmas Eve drawing.

The lottery said over the weekend that Friday night’s drawing had no players with tickets matching all the numbers, raising the jackpot to just under 10 figures.

It was hovering at an annuitized $970 million as of Monday night, the day before Christmas Eve. As a one-time cash payment, it amounts to $439.9 million.

The jackpot is on track to become the fourth-biggest Mega Millions jackpot of 2024 if someone wins it before the end of the year, according to the lottery.

ILLINOIS WOMAN WINS $1 MILLION FROM FORGOTTEN LOTTERY TICKET LEFT IN HER PURSE

The three jackpot wins Mega Millions has seen so far this year have occurred in mid-September, early June and late March. They were worth $810 million, $552 million, and $1.128 billion, respectively.

The Mega Millions jackpot has approached the billion dollar mark after the latest drawing failed to produce a jackpot winner. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/File)

The $1.128 billion grand prizewon in March and recently claimed, is the lottery’s biggest of the year so far and the only one to top 10 figures in 2024. so far, according to Mega Millions.

According to the lottery, the jackpot is on track to become the fourth-biggest Mega Millions prize of 2024 if someone wins it before the end of the year. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/File)

The $970 million jackpot will currently be the largest prize ever won in December and the seventh largest in Mega Millions history if someone matches all six numbers this month, Mega Millions said. It would also mark the second ever Christmas Eve jackpot win if Tuesday’s drawing produces a jackpot winner.

MAN WINS $1 MILLION ON LOTTERY TICKET HE BOUGHT WITH MONEY FOUND IN PARKING LOT

Drawings held since September, when the Mega Millions jackpot was last won, have resulted in multiple lower level lottery winners. Fifty-six people won windfalls of at least $1 million, and others received smaller amounts, the lottery said.

Drawings held since September, when the Mega Millions jackpot was last won, have resulted in multiple lower-level lottery winners. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/File)

Mega Millions plans to hold its Christmas Eve drawing for the $970 million jackpot at 11 p.m. east. The odds of winning a nine-figure jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.

The other Powerball lottery held its $103 million jackpot drawing Monday night.

INDIANA, MISSOURI, PENNSYLVANIA ARE TOP STATES WITH POWERBALL WINNERS

As of Monday, Powerball had seen nine people win their jackpot this year, the largest of which was worth $1.326 billion annuitized.