Mega Millions player misses $348 million jackpot — but still wins big in CA
A Mega Millions player in California won $34,982, just missing the $348 million jackpot, lottery officials said.
The ticket matched four winning numbers and the Mega Ball with a 2x multiplier in the drawing Friday, June 27, California Lottery officials said.
The winning ticket was sold at John’s Market in Mission Hills, which is about a 25-mile drive northwest from downtown Los Angeles, lottery officials said in an email to McClatchy News.
California adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and number of winners.
A ticket sold in Virginia won the $348 million jackpot.
The grand prize now resets to an estimated $50 million, with a cash option of approximately $22.4 million, for the next drawing Tuesday, July 1, the national Mega Millions site said.
The winning numbers were 18, 21, 29, 42 and 50 with a Mega Ball of 2, the lottery said.
Nearly 300,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $40,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.
The prior Mega Millions jackpot was hit April 18, when an Ohio player won the $112 million grand prize, lottery officials said.
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 290,472,336.
Tickets cost $5 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 June 29, 2025 at 7:08 AM.