Mega da Virada Draw Postponed to Jan. 1 as Caixa Confirms Record R$1.09 Billion Jackpot

Overview

• Originally slated for 10 p.m. on Dec. 31, the drawing was reset to 10 a.m. Brasília time on Jan. 1 with live coverage on Caixa’s YouTube channel and Loterias Caixa’s Facebook, and it was not shown on TV.
• Caixa confirmed the top prize at R$ 1.09 billion, the largest payout ever offered by the special year-end Mega-Sena contest.
• The bank reported record demand, peaking at 120,000 transactions per second online and 4,745 per second at lottery retailers, which required operational interventions before the draw.
• Betting closed at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31, with online pool bets accepted until 8:30 p.m.; official numbers and the prize breakdown will be published after the drawing.
• Bettors reported canceled wagers and lengthy virtual queues during the rush to play, and many criticized the late-night communication about the delay.