Player just misses $700 million Powerball jackpot in California — but still wins big
A Powerball ticket sold in Northern California won $450,000, narrowly missing out on the $700 million top jackpot, lottery officials say.
The ticket matched all five winning numbers in the draw Wednesday, Dec. 27, but not the Powerball, the California Lottery said.
Nobody claimed the top prize, which will carry over to the next drawing Saturday, Dec. 30, with an estimated jackpot of $760 million, lottery officials said.
The winning numbers were 4, 11, 38, 51 and 68, with a Powerball of 5.
More than 218,000 tickets sold in California won prizes from $3 to more than $23,000 in the draw, the lottery said. Prizes in California are calculated based on the number of tickets sold and number of winners.
The $450,000 ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in El Dorado Hills, officials said.
A similar near-miss ticket sold in the Monday, Dec. 25, draw in California won $2.08 million.
Near-miss on $638 million Powerball jackpot still a big winner in California
What to know about Powerball
To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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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.
