You won't win: California Lottery warns players against buying tickets online
SACRAMENTO - The California Lottery is warning players against buying tickets on the internet.
Nobody won Wednesday night's estimated $526 million jackpot, which means Saturday's drawing will be worth about $572 million, with an estimated cash value of $308.9 million.
Wednesday night's numbers drawn were 9, 17, 20, 38, 40; Mega Ball: 18; Power Play: 2x
And while interest in higher-than-normal jackpots is driving the demand for tickets, those who buy online simply won't win. A lottery spokesperson issued this statement Wednesday, warning players:
"Online lottery ticket sales are not regulated in California, so there's simply no oversight," said Carolyn Becker, California Lottery spokesperson. "Because these services are not authorized, we would be prohibited from knowingly paying a prize on any ticket acquired through a third-party digital service because the player would not meet the legal definition of a 'winner.'"
There are more than 23,000 retail locations in the state that sell California Lottery tickets. The deadline to buy Powerball tickets for Saturday's drawing is 7 p.m. and the drawing is scheduled to take place at 7:59 p.m. PT.
In California, players have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim a Powerball prize -- a full year from the date of the draw if they win the Powerball jackpot.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million, and there isn't much a player can do to increase those chances, according to one expert. The odds of winning a lesser prize are a little better: 1 in 24.9. Tickets cost $2 each.
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