Mega Millions Winning Numbers Dec. 18: $284 Million Jackpot

The winning numbers for Tuesday, Dec. 18's Mega Millions jackpot are worth $284 million. The winning numbers are 13-22-32-60-69 with a Mega Ball 9. The Megaplier is 3. The estimated cash payout is $167.9 million, making for a tidy little Christmas gift for somebody.

The jackpot hasn't been claimed since Oct. 23, when the richest prize in U.S. lottery history was won. A South Carolina person won the $1.6 billion jackpot, netting a cash payout of more than $900 million. Since then, the mega millions has been played 15 times. The Mega Millions game resets to $40 million when a jackpot is one. Then it grows by at least $5 million with every drawing that doesn't have a winner.

Talk about a Christmas miracle: The odds of picking the correct numbers on five white balls and one yellow ball (the Mega Ball) are one in 302.6 million. No matter how many people play Mega Millions, the chances of winning never change. The chances of winning are based on the number combinations not the number of players buying tickets.

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A single play costs $2. Players pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers – five different numbers from 1 to 70 and one number from 1 to 25 (the Mega Ball number.) Players can also use an easy pick feature, where a computer selects random numbers for them. To win the jackpot, a player much match all six numbers.

The Megaplier add-on, which costs an extra dollar, increases non-jackpot prizes by two to five times.

Mega Millions is played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings take place at 11 p.m. ET each Tuesday and Friday.

Players who match some of the numbers could still win some money. Here is the payout schedule for lesser prizes, not including the Megaplier, which is different for each game:

• 5 + 0 = $1 million (five numbers by not the Mega Ball)
• 4 + 1 = $10,000 (four numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 4+ 0 = $500 (four numbers without the Mega Ball)
• 3 + 1 = $200 (three numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 3 + 0 = $10 (three numbers but not the Mega Ball)
• 2 + 1 = $10 (two numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 1 + 1 = $4 (one number and the Mega Ball)
• 0 + 1 = $2 (just the Mega Ball)

One of the biggest cheerleaders lottery players have is the state they live in. The state a winner resides in can get a very hefty revenue tax bump. Of course, that varies from state to state. Visit usamega.com to learn about the potential estimated tax implications.

You can buy Mega Millions tickets for $2 apiece. If no one wins, the jackpot will grow once more for Friday night's drawing.

Photo by Jenna Fisher, Patch

Dennis Robaugh, Patch Staff, contributed to this report