Encino gas station sells two winning Mega Millions tickets for $395 million jackpot
A Chevron station in Encino was an incredibly lucky spot in the latest drawing of the multi-state Mega Millions lottery, selling not one but two tickets that matched all six numbers for a total jackpot of nearly $400 million, lottery officials said Saturday.
If the tickets were purchased by separate parties, the players will split the $395 million prize, and have the option of receiving $197.5 million in 30 graduated annual installments or a lump sum cash payment of $94.3 million before federal taxes, the California Lottery announced.
The station is located at 18081 Ventura Blvd.
It wasn't immediately clear if this was the first time such a coincidence has occurred.
"This is definitely an interesting one! Not sure if it's ever happened before but I'll ask around on Monday," Carolyn Becker, the deputy director of the California Lottery's Office of Public Affairs and Communications, told City News Service on Saturday.
The numbers drawn Friday were 21, 26, 53, 66, 70 and the Mega number was 13. It was the 18th drawing since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold on Oct. 6.
There were no tickets sold matching five numbers, but missing the Mega number. Such a ticket sold in California would have been worth $2,849,296.
The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in 302,575,350, according to the California Lottery. The overall chance of winning a prize is 1 in 24.
The Mega Millions game is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The jackpot for Tuesday's drawing will be $20 million.