Massive lottery prizes in the US have become increasingly common in recent years, attributed to changes in game rules and higher ticket prices. Since 2016, more than 10 jackpots have exceeded $1

“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,” Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a news release before the jackpot rose again to $1.22 billion.