Unclaimed $197.5 million Mega Millions jackpot expires in days in California
A Mega Millions jackpot from last year worth $197.5 million will expire in just days, the California Lottery reported.
Two tickets sold at the same Chevron gas station in Encino won in the Dec. 8, 2023, drawing and split the top prize, each winning $197.5 million, lottery officials said in a Dec. 4 news release.
One winner came forward over the summer, but the second ticket remains unclaimed and expires Saturday, Dec. 7, officials said.
The winning numbers were 21, 26, 53, 66, 70, and 13, officials said.
“We have no way of knowing who has the second jackpot-winning ticket from that incredible night,” said Carolyn Becker, California Lottery spokesperson, in the release.
To claim the prize, the lucky winner can present the winning ticket and a claim form at one of the nine California Lottery offices around the state or fill out paperwork available online and mail it to the lottery headquarters before Dec. 7, officials said. The address is California Lottery Headquarters, 730 North 10th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811.
If the jackpot remains unclaimed, the money goes to public education in California along with other lottery proceeds, officials said.
The current Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $579 million dollars. The next drawing is Friday, Dec. 6.
A jackpot hasn’t been won since Sept. 10, when a Texas player hit the $810 million grand prize, lottery officials said.
Encino is about a 20-mile drive northwest from downtown Los Angeles.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score the 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. Officials have announced they will cost $5 starting in April.
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 December 5, 2024 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Unclaimed $197.5 million Mega Millions jackpot expires in days in California."