It wasn't the Mega Millions billion-dollar jackpot, but a lucky New Jersey lottery player also won a jackpot on Friday - a $494,401 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot. The New Jersey Lottery announced Monday that a Burlington County ticket matched the five balls to win.

The winner of a $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot has finally come forward to claim their staggering windfall nearly nine months since the ticket was drawn, according to a New Jersey Lottery press release. Lottery officials say the jaw-dropping prize is the fifth-highest in the game’s nearly three-decade history.

The sole winner of a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot has begun the process of collecting the prize, the New Jersey Lottery said Monday.

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,

What’s happening The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.15 billion after no ticket matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball on Tuesday. That means there’s still a chance — 1 in nearly 303 million — that someone could take home the jackpot prize after Friday night's drawing.

The $1.128 billion jackpot was the fifth largest in Mega Millions history and the ninth largest in U.S. lottery history.

Mega Millions’ $1.15 billion jackpot sparks excitement while highlighting the evolving history of lotteries, from ancient Rome to modern billion-dollar prizes. Experts explore their societal impact and growing jackpot trends.