Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the lottery drawing would be Saturday night.
Tonight could bring a present even Santa would be hard pressed to lug around, when the drawing for the California Lottery is done.
Someone or a group of lucky someones stand to win about $173 million.
The lottery reports today that the Mega Millions jackpot, awarded to someone possessing a ticket matching all six numbers, is at a level not reached since March. It has continued to swell since nobody had the winning ticket in Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing.
The estimated cash option -- taking a lump sum rather than regular payments -- for tomorrow night's drawing is $129.5 million. The retailer that sells the jackpot-winning ticket will receive a bonus of $865,000.
The largest MEGA Millions jackpot ever won was $390 million in March 2007, with a cash option of $233 million.
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