Mega Millions Jackpot Reaches $50 Million After Latest Drawing

Detroit, MI — The winning numbers for the Friday, Dec. 5 Mega Millions drawing are in, with the jackpot soaring to an estimated $50 million, or $23.3 million for those opting for a cash payout.

The winning numbers drawn were 34, 38, 42, 44, and 69, with the Mega Ball being 8. Tickets purchased for the drawing can be checked to see if anyone struck it rich with the jackpot.

The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 11 p.m. Players in Michigan can buy tickets in-store or online until 10:45 p.m. on drawing nights. Each ticket costs $5 and allows players to select six numbers: five from a range of 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball). An Easy Pick/Quick Pick option is available for players who prefer to let the machine choose their numbers.

In a recent update, Mega Millions announced the retirement of its Megaplier feature. Now, a built-in multiplier will randomly enhance non-jackpot prizes by a factor of 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 10 times. This multiplier is automatically assigned at the time of ticket purchase.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot, which requires matching all five white balls plus the Mega Ball, stand at 1 in 290,472,336. Players can also win smaller prizes by matching a variety of other number combinations.

A jackpot win allows winners to choose between an annuity, which consists of one initial payment followed by 29 annual payments increasing by 5% each year, or a one-time cash lump sum equivalent to the jackpot prize pool. According to the Mega Millions website, this structured payout is designed to help protect winners’ purchasing power during inflationary periods.

If more than one ticket matches the winning numbers in a single drawing, the jackpot is equally divided among the ticket holders.