Mega Millions player just misses $140 million jackpot in California — but still wins big
A Mega Millions ticket sold in California won $155,000, narrowly missing out on the estimated $140 million jackpot, lottery officials say.
The ticket matched five winning numbers in the drawing Friday, Jan. 5, but not the Mega Ball, the California Lottery said.
Nobody won the grand prize, which rises to an estimated $165 million, with a cash option of approximately $80 million, for the next drawing Tuesday, Jan. 9, the national Mega Millions site said.
The winning numbers were 5, 23, 26, 38 and 44, with a Mega Ball of 25.
More than 80,000 other tickets sold in California won prizes ranging from $2 to $15,000 in the draw, the lottery said.
The winning ticket was sold at a store in Chula Vista, about 15 miles south of San Diego.
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 January 7, 2024 at 9:16 AM with the headline "Mega Millions player just misses $140 million jackpot in California — but still wins big."