Mega Millions player misses $253 million jackpot in California — but still wins big
A Mega Millions player in California won $34,646, just missing the $253 million jackpot, lottery officials said.
The ticket matched four winning numbers and the Mega Ball with a 2x multiplier in the drawing Tuesday, Aug. 26, California Lottery officials said.
The lucky ticket was sold at a Chevron gas station in Corona, which is about a 45-mile drive southeast from downtown Los Angeles.
A ticket sold in Florida won $3 million, and one sold in Mississippi won $2 million.
The winning numbers were 7, 12, 30, 40 and 69 with a Mega Ball of 17, the lottery said.
Mega Millions jackpot rises
Nobody won the grand prize, which now rises to an estimated $277 million, with a cash option of approximately $124.6 million, for the next drawing Friday, Aug. 29, the national Mega Millions site said.
Nearly 290,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $30,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.
The Mega Millions jackpot was last hit June 27, when a Virginia player won the $348 million grand prize, lottery officials said.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score the 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 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 August 27, 2025 at 6:52 AM.