California

California lottery player misses $1.1 billion win by 1 number. There’s still good news

A California lottery player missed a $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot by just one number but still took home a massive win.

Timothy Morgan matched five numbers, only missing the Mega number, California Lottery said in an Aug. 18 news release.

He may have missed the massive jackpot, but Morgan still walked away a millionaire, lottery officials said.

He scored a $3,970,609 prize for matching winning numbers 7, 13, 14, 15 and 18, lottery officials said.

Morgan bought his ticket for the game’s Jan. 10 drawing from Park’s Liquor in Hacienda Heights, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

“I’m so happy for him,” the store’s owner, Soo Kim, said in the release.

Lottery officials said the store also received a nearly $20,000 bonus.

Just days after the Jan. 10 drawing, a Maine lottery player took home a $1.348 billion prize, ending the “12-week jackpot run,” officials said.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states; Washington, D.C.; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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Daniella Segura
McClatchy DC
Daniella Segura is a national real-time reporter with McClatchy. Previously, she’s worked as a multimedia journalist for weekly and daily newspapers in the Los Angeles area. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.
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