The Mississippi Lottery announced the beginning the “step-down” process for purchase of Advanced Play multi-draw tickets of Mega Millions in preparation for the April 8, 2025, launch of the new and improved game.

“We know that many people will likely receive tickets to Friday’s drawing as holiday gifts, and what a gift that would turn out to be if you ended up with a ticket worth a $1.15 billion jackpot,” Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a news release before the jackpot rose again to $1.22 billion.

Twenty lottery players in New Jersey won $10,000 or more last week playing Powerball, Mega Millions and New Jersey Lottery games.

There’s a laundry list of horror stories about big lottery winners whose golden tickets led to strained family relationships, bankruptcy, prison or even murder.

After three months without anyone winning the top prize in the lottery, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night. The winning ticket matched the white balls 3,

A New Jersey lottery player rang in the new year by winning $5,000 a month for life on a $3 scratch-off ticket.

A lucky New Jersey lottery player won the $150,000 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot Friday night. The New Jersey Lottery announced Monday that a Essex County ticket matched the five numbers to win. The winning ticket was sold at One Stop Supermarket on Main Street in Orange.