Two lucky lottery players win big in California — but just miss massive jackpots
Players in two California lottery games won millions of dollars over the weekend — but each fell one number short of jackpots worth hundreds of millions, officials reported.
On Friday, July 7, a Mega Millions ticket scored five out of six winning numbers for $1.6 million, the California Lottery said on Twitter. The next draw on Tuesday, July 11, is worth an estimated $480 million.
The almost-there ticket was purchased at Master’s Donuts in Oxnard, about 60 miles west of Los Angeles, the lottery said.
On Saturday, July 8, a Powerball ticket scored five out of six winning numbers for $2.6 million, the California Lottery said on Twitter. The next draw on Monday, July 10, is worth an estimated $650 million.
The ticket was purchased at a Quick-Stop in Stockton, about 50 miles south of Sacramento, the lottery said.
It’s not the first time California lottery players have been just shy of a massive jackpot win. In June, a lucky Powerball player walked away with $1,036,009 prize before taxes — but missed out on a $262 million jackpot, McClatchy News previously reported.
Days later, a Mega Millions player in the state scored a winning ticket worth $1,442,494, according to McClatchy News. That player also missed the huge $218 million jackpot by just one number.
What to know about Powerball
To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score a jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball.
The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.
Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published July 9, 2023 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Two lucky lottery players win big in California — but just miss massive jackpots."