The lucky punter won almost a billion pounds in the draw. (Image: Getty)
One lucky person has scooped a staggering cash prize on a Christmas lottery draw, with the windfall just short of a billion pounds.
The unnamed Mega Millions player from Cottonwood, California, in the US, takes home the life-changing sum after three months without anyone getting the top prize.
The ticket, which is estimated to be worth an estimated $1.22 billion (£954.5 million) was sold the draw this Friday.
The winner matched the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 as well as the gold Mega Ball 6, reports.
Exactly how much the punter receives will depend on what payment package they choose, with only those who choose an annuity paid over 29 years getting the total jackpot.
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The lottery saw its highest December jackpot ever this year. (Image: Getty)
Most winners of the grand prize winners choose a cash payout instead, which for Friday night’s drawing is estimated to be $549.7 million (£437.2 million).
Though players have a one in 302.6 million, tickets continued to fly off the shelves as the epic fortune continued to snowball.
Last Friday marked the first time the top prize had been won since September 10.
But the vast fortune is someway short of the biggest ever, with a ticket worth $1.6 billion (£1.27bn) sold in Florida in August last year.
Meanwhille, another major draw in the States, the Powerball lottery, has had two prizes that were larger.
Both Powerball and Megamillions are sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the US Virgin Islands, and Powerball is also sold in Puerto Rico as per the Mirror.
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Mega Millions said in a statement: “In the middle of the holiday season, a Mega Milllions ticket-holder in California has a lot to celebrate! A single ticket sold in the state matched all six numbers drawn on December 27 – the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49 and 55, plus the gold Mega Ball 6.
“The jackpot is worth an estimated $1.22 billion ($549.7 million cash); it’s the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot in history, and the seventh Mega Millions jackpot greater than $1 billion. The winning ticket was sold in Cottonwood, California.”
Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said: “Congratulations to our $1.22 billion jackpot winner from California. What an amazing present this holiday season! 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.
“Thank you to everyone who plays. Because of you, we have winners all around the country taking home cash prizes both big and small, and we have educational causes, parks and many other great organizations benefiting as well. Thank you and congratulations to all our winners.”