Mega Millions player wins big in CA — but one number keeps them from $500 million prize
One lucky lottery player in California nearly won the $500 million Mega Millions jackpot — but they were off by one number.
They still won a big prize.
The player bought a ticket from a One Stop Liquor Whole Mart in Los Angeles for the Tuesday, July 11, drawing, according to lottery officials.
They matched all five white balls, 10, 17, 33, 51, 64, but missed the gold Mega Ball 5, scoring them $365,095.
Players in South Dakota and Wisconsin won the “second-tier prize of $1 million” by getting five numbers right.
In California, all Powerball and Mega Millions prize levels are based on parimutuel calculations.
They “vary depending on ticket sales and number of winners and will differ from the fixed prizes shown on the Mega Millions website.”
Now the jackpot has grown to $560 million ahead of the Friday, July 14, drawing.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score a jackpot in 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.
What to know about Powerball
To score a jackpot in 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.
This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 7:14 PM with the headline "Mega Millions player wins big in CA — but one number keeps them from $500 million prize."
