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Unclaimed California Lottery Ticket Valued at Nearly $200 Million is About to Expire


In an unusual event, two winning jackpot tickets were sold at the same gas station nearly a year ago, but only one winner came forward to claim their prize.

If you happen to be in California and have an unclaimed lottery ticket from December 2023, you may be in for a big surprise. A ticket valued at nearly $200 million is about to expire in just two days.

On December 8, 2023, two tickets were purchased at the Encino Chevron located at 18081 Ventura Boulevard, about 20 minutes northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Both tickets matched the numbers drawn for the $395 million jackpot, meaning the winners would split the amount.

However, only one winner stepped forward in June to claim their share of $197,500,000.

As of now, the California Lottery is unaware of the individual who holds the second ticket.

It is quite rare for two winning tickets to be sold at a single retailer; this incident marked the first occurrence for a California MegaMillions jackpot.

“While this is definitely an uncommon and intriguing situation, it’s not completely unheard of,” remarked Carolyn Becker, California Lottery spokesperson, at the time. “There could be various explanations; perhaps one person wanted to try their luck on two separate tickets for any reason, or maybe friends decided to pool their chances with the same numbers. Until the prize is claimed, we won’t know the specifics.”
To claim the prize, the winner must present the ticket along with a claim form at one of nine California Lottery offices across the state, or they can complete the online paperwork and send both the ticket and form to the Lottery headquarters in Sacramento. The envelope must be postmarked by or before December 7.

The winning numbers for the jackpot are: 21, 26, 53, 66, 70, and the Mega Ball 13.

At this time, there is no way to identify the holder of the second jackpot-winning ticket. If the ticket remains unclaimed, the funds will be allocated to public schools as with other lottery proceeds.

The current MegaMillions jackpot stands at $579 million, with the latest prize announcement scheduled for December 6.

To win the jackpot, a ticket must match all five white ball numbers and the gold Mega Ball.

A ticket costs $2, but the price will rise to $5 starting in April as part of a revision of the game rules.

MegaMillions is played in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.



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