Mega Millions player just misses $754 million jackpot — but wins big in California

A Mega Millions player in California won $100,317, just missing the $754 million jackpot, lottery officials said.

The ticket matched four winning numbers and the Mega Ball in the drawing Friday, Oct. 31, the California Lottery said.

The lucky ticket was sold at Panorama Liquor in Bakersfield, lottery officials said in an email to McClatchy News.

California adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners.

The winning numbers were 2, 24, 52, 66 and 68 with a Mega Ball of 9, the lottery said.

Mega Millions jackpot rises

Nobody won the grand prize, which now rises to an estimated $800 million, with a cash option of approximately $371.7 million, for the next drawing Tuesday, Nov. 4, the national Mega Millions site said.

Nearly 560,000 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 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 November 2, 2025 at 6:40 AM.