Someone could be in for a very merry Christmas. The Mega Millions jackpot for Christmas Eve is an estimated $944 million. Bringing home the better part of a billion dollars would make just about anyone’s day merry and bright.

The winning numbers will be drawn just after 10 p.m. Central, and the cash option is $429.4 million.

A $1.1 billion-winning ticket was sold in New Jersey earlier this year, and that prize hasn’t been claimed. Winners in New Jersey have up to a year to claim a jackpot.

In Mississippi, drawing winners must claim their prize within 180 days, and if you win, you can claim it anonymously.

Here’s what you need to know about top jackpots and how to play Mega Millions in Mississippi, including where you can buy tickets and how to claim the prize if you win.

More: Powerball winning numbers for Dec. 21 drawing: Jackpot rises to $88 million

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

How to play the Mega Millions

In order to buy a ticket, you’ll have to visit your local convenience store, gas station or grocery store. In a handful of states, you can purchase tickets online, but Mississippi isn’t one of them.

To play, you will need to pick six numbers. Five numbers will be white balls ranging from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball is one number between 1 and 25. 

If you believe the odds are against you, ask for a ”Quick Pick” or an ”Easy Pick,” the computer will randomly generate the numbers for you. 

Players can add the ”Megaplier” for $1, which can increase non-grand prize winnings by two, three, four or five times. The Megaplier is drawn before the Mega Millions numbers on Tuesday and Friday.

There are 15 Megapiler balls in all:

• 2X, five balls.
• 3X, six balls.
• 4X, three balls.
• 5X, one ball.

More: Will it snow for the holidays? Mississippi winter weather forecast calls for rain, heat

What are the top Mega Millions jackpots?  

According to the lottery, the following jackpots are the Top 10 jackpots that have been won as of Oct. 4:  

1. $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023; a Florida player  
2. $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018; a South Carolina player  
3. $1.348 billion, Jan.13, 2023; a Maine player  
4. $1.337 billion, July 29, 2022; an Illinois player  
5. $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024; a New Jersey payer 
6. $1.050 billion, Jan. 22, 2021; a Michigan player 
7. $810 million, Sept. 10, 2024; a Texas player 
8. $656 million, March 30, 2012; a player from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland 
9. $648 million, Dec. 17,2013; a player from California and Georgia 
10. $552 million, June 4, 2024; an Illinois player  

I won the lottery in Mississippi! What next?

The Mississippi Lottery advises people to sign the back of their winning ticket immediately.

If your prize is less than $600, you can claim that at any place that sells Mississippi Lottery tickets.

If you win $600-$99,999, you can claim by mail or by going to the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters in Flowood.

All prizes more than $100,000 must be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters.

Former Texas A&M edge rusher Malick Sylla will transfer to play for Mississippi State this upcoming season, On3’s Pete Nakos reported. Sylla played the past three seasons with the Aggies and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-6 edge rusher appeared in eight games this past season to finish with six total tackles and two sacks. He played in 33 total contests across his career in College Station to record 26 tackles (six for loss) and four sacks.

Sylla played high school football for Katy (TX), where he was a four-star prospect out of the 2022 class. He ranked as the No. 124 overall player and No. 12 edge rusher in the cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“It was just the best opportunity for myself,” explained the 6-foot-6 and 245-pound Sylla to Maroon and White Daily. “I saw an opportunity to help them turn the program around. I have one year left and I want to make the most of that opportunity.”

Prior to his commitment to the Bulldogs, Sylla also made visits with Syracuse and SMU. He is the 14th overall player and the second edge rusher that MSU has added through the portal so far, joining Nevaeh Sanders from Northern Illinois.

Malick Sylla ranks as the No. 295 overall player and No. 29 edge rusher according to On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings. He joins a Mississippi State team that is coming off of a 2-10 finish in the inaugural season under coach Jeff Lebby and will look to help bolster a unit that ranked last in the SEC in total defense.

The portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. More than 2,800 FBS scholarship players entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer database during the 2023-24 school year. Removing those who withdrew or went pro, the final total sat at 2,707 transfers.

So far this cycle, 2,079 players have entered the transfer portal with 551 of those already having committed to new schools.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Kentucky has seen 20 scholarship players leave the program for the transfer portal since the end of the regular season. Another one found a new home on a power conference team. Redshirt freshman center Koby Keenum was only in the transfer portal for four days.

The former three-star recruit committed to Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon.

The Florence (Ala.) Mars Hill will move closer to home and play for head coach Jeff Lebby at Mississippi State. Koby Keenum will be a redshirt sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining in 2025. The class of 2023 signee only played 32 offensive snaps during his two-year career in Lexington.

Koby Keenum is one of 11 players in that 2023 high school signing class to leave the Kentucky roster for the transfer portal with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

The transfer portal is open for business and so far we know of 20 players who will be seeking out greener pastures this offseason.

• DL Keeshawn Silver (Committed to USC on Dec. 19)
• DB Avery Stuart
• LB Jayvant Brown
• TE Tanner Lemaster
• TE Khamari Anderson
• TE Jordan Dingle (Committed to South Carolina on Dec. 18)
• OL Courtland Ford (Committed to UCLA on Dec. 17)
• OL Ben Christman
• OL Dylan Ray (Committed to Minnesota on Dec. 21)
• OL Koby Keenum (Committee to Mississippi State on Dec. 22)
• DL Tommy Ziesmer (Committed to EKU on Dec. 15)
• WR Dane Key
• WR Barion Brown (Committed to LSU on Dec. 14)
• WR Anthony Brown-Stephens
• WR Brandon White
• EDGE Tyreese Fearbry
• EDGE Noah Matthews
• EDGE Caleb Redd (Committed to Kansas on Dec. 20)
• RB Chip Trayanum
• QB Gavin Wimsatt

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. Keep closer tabs on the Cats with our staff-only sticky thread on KSBoard, which will have updates on departures and targets throughout the offseason. Not a KSR+ member? Try it out today.