Mega Millions jackpot swells to $415M for New Year's Day drawing

NEW YORK -- The year 2019 will open with the eighth largest jackpot in the history of Mega Millions - an estimated $415 million ($248.8 million cash) jackpot for January 1.

The jackpot rolls after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on December 28 - the white balls 9, 10, 25, 37 and 38, plus the gold Mega Ball 21.

Next Tuesday's drawing will be the fifth time Mega Millions has been drawn on the first day of a new year; the jackpot has been won once on the day - January 1, 2008.

There have been five jackpot wins so far in 2018, including a record $1.537 billion jackpot on October 23. Just one winning ticket was sold for that drawing; the ticket-holder in South Carolina has not yet come forward.

The other four jackpots awarded in 2018 were on January 5 ($451 million in Florida), March 30 ($533 million in New Jersey), May 4 ($142 million in Ohio) and July 24 ($543 million in California).

There were a few winners on Friday night. Six tickets matched the five white balls to win the game's second prize. One, sold in Washington, included the optional Megaplier and is worth $2 million after the 2X Megaplier was drawn Friday night. The others were sold in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mega Millions jackpots start out at $40 million and roll over if there is no jackpot winner. Tickets are sold in 44 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.