CNN —While shoppers rush to find the perfect holiday gift, the real treasure might just be hidden in one lucky lottery ticket. That’s because tonight’s Mega Millions drawing could yield a jackpot nearing $1 billion – the largest prize ever offered in the month of December. The Mega Millions jackpot surged to $862 million on Friday, Joshua Johnston, the lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, told CNN, jumping up $37 million from a jackpot initially projected to be $825 million. SeptemberA Houston-area resident claimed September’s $800 million Mega Millions jackpot prize a month after purchasing the winning ticket at a gas station convenience store in Sugar Land. No one has ever won a jackpot on Christmas Day, according to the Mega Millions organization.

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Persons: Joshua Johnston, ” Johnston, “ There’s, ”, there’s, jackpots, June, snagging Organizations: CNN, Mega Millions Consortium, Living Trust, Texas Lottery, Illinois Lottery, Illinois State, Jersey Mega, New Jersey Lottery Locations: Houston, Sugar Land, Illinois, Jersey, Monmouth County