A Mega Million Christmas Eve drawing shortly before midnight could make one lucky winner a Christmas Day billionaire (before taxes).

“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,” Lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium Joshua Johnston said.

A lucky lottery player may get a big present on Christmas Eve: The Mega Millions jackpot is nearly $1 billion. Tuesday's drawing is for an estimated $970 million, or $439.9 million in cash, according to the lottery.

Hang onto those stocking-stuffer lottery tickets. The Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed $1 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Christmas Eve.

The Mega Millions drawing tonight on Christmas Eve is $1 billion. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since Sept. 13 of this year. That's how we've gotten to a $1 billion jackpot with a cash option value of $448.8 million.

No one is celebrating Christmas with a Mega Millions jackpot win. After no ticket matched the six numbers drawn on Christmas Eve, the jackpot exploded to an estimated $1.15 billion. Players have their next chance to win on Friday, Dec. 27. If someone scores all the winning numbers, they could take home the fifth-largest jackpot in game history.

This Christmas Eve, one lucky lottery ticket could celebrate with a Mega Millions jackpot of $1 billion – the largest prize ever offered in the month of December.

With no one winning the jackpot Friday, the grand prize for Tuesday’s drawing ballooned from $862 million to $944 million, according to the lottery. A jackpot winner in Tuesday’s drawing could choose to receive the money in annuitized payments or take a lump sum estimated at $429.4 million.