Mega Millions Swells To $1.1 Billion; Recent CA Lottery Winners Named

CALIFORNIA — As California Lottery players got another chance at claiming a nearly $1 billion jackpot Friday, this week lottery officials announced several Golden State winners who recently claimed hefty prizes.

The estimated jackpot amount for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing was $940 million, or a cool $483.5 million if a winning player chose the cash value, lump sum option. It was the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever, according to California Lottery officials.

The winning numbers were 3, 20, 46, 59, 63 Mega Ball: 13 and the Megaplier was 3X. No one hit the jackpot, but five tickets sold — two in New York, one each in Florida, Maryland and New Jersey — matched five numbers.

The Mega Million's jackpot has swelled to $1.1 billion and the next drawing is Tuesday night. The odds of winning the big one are not good: one in about 303 million Friday night.

But some California Lottery players recently beat the long shot. Salvador Carbajal bought a 200X Scratchers ticket at Jensen’s Market on Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park (Los Angeles County) that was a $10 million winner, lottery officials announced Wednesday.

Carbajal wants to remain private about his plans for that major windfall, but Jensen's Market staff shared the scoop.

“We sold the ticket back in September," Milton Polanco said. "I had this guy playing Scratchers for a while. He was playing different games, switching back and forth."

Mary Higelin won a whalelike $20 million with a Set For Life Millionaire Edition Scratchers ticket that was sold at CN Liquor on Hammer Avenue in Norco (Riverside County), lottery officials announced Wednesday. It's the biggest payout a player can win with a Scratchers game.

Roberto Nunes won the top prize playing a $10 Million Dollar Titanium Black Scratchers ticket that he bought at Fulton Square Liquor in Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles County), according to Wednesday's announcement.

In Los Angeles, Nicholas Simpson won $2 million playing an Instant Prize Crossword Scratchers ticket he picked up at the Sunwest 58 Mobil station on Sunset Boulevard, the announcement said.

Carbajal, Higelin, Nunes and Simpson were all Scratchers winners, but the state's biggest lottery victor came in November when a record-setting $2.04 billion Powerball ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center on 15 West Woodbury Road in Altadena (Los Angeles County). The ticketholder was the winner of the largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.

Who was it? The prize is still unclaimed, California Lottery officials confirmed Friday. The ticketholder has one full year from the date of the drawing to come forward.

Read more about last year's lottery winners here: CA's 2022 Lottery Winners: A Mystery Billionaire And 100+ Millionaires