If the holidays have left their mark on your bank account and you could really benefit from some additional cash ahead of the new year, then you might want to buy a Mega Millions ticket today, as the multistate lottery's jackpot has climbed to an impressive $117 million.

And once you hold the magic stub, don't forget to tune in at 11 p.m. ET, which is when the draw for tonight's $66 million jackpot is set to take place at the studios of WSB-TV, Atlanta's ABC affiliate.

If you do hit the big prize and want to take home every last penny, the total will be paid out to you in annual installments over a 29-year period. Otherwise, you also have the option of an immediate lump sum payout of "only" about $71 million.

The lottery's winning numbers from the last drawing on Christmas Day were 15, 25, 29, 44 and 51; the Mega Ball number was 4; and the Megaplier number was 4, according to the game's official website.

The estimated jackpot had been $104 million, but no one matched the winning Mega Millions numbers on that day. In fact, the Dec. 25 drawing did not produce any new millionaires at all.

The multistate lottery reported that no player matched five numbers, which would have led to a $1 million win. With the Megaplier option, which is used in some states and allows players to increase non-jackpot prize winnings by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times, scoring five numbers without the Mega Ball could have yielded as much as $4 million.

Mega Millions drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday, and the draw entry closes at 10:45 p.m. ET. Tickets for the game are sold in 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands -- a total of 45 jurisdictions. The odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 15, but your chances of hitting the jackpot are only about 1 in 259 million.

So if you want to see just how close you are to hitting the jackpot and settling into a life of luxury, then click here to find out how to watch the Mega Millions drawings at 11 p.m. ET.