In a first in California Mega Millions history, two tickets purchased from the same Chevron station on Ventura Boulevard in Encino hit the $395-million jackpot, potentially creating controversy over the retailer’s share of the winnings.
The chances of winning a Mega Millions jackpot stand at an astonishing 1 in 302,575,350. The prospect of two separate transactions winning with the same numbers at one location can seem implausible, especially considering there are 23,000 lottery retailers across the state.
Whoever owns the two tickets would split the jackpot, but it is still unclear whether the two tickets were purchased by the same person or two players, which could result in controversy over whether the gas station owner is awarded $1 million or more for selling the tickets.
As of Monday, the jackpot has yet to be claimed, according to lottery spokesperson Carolyn Becker.
The identity of the person or people who purchased the tickets remains unknown. However, Becker said the lottery’s gaming system meticulously tracks each transaction statewide, and the law enforcement team investigating the winnings knows whether it was a single transaction or two separate ones.
The California Lottery isn’t revealing this information to “protect the integrity of the security review process once there’s a prize claim.” Potential jackpot winners coming forward must undergo a vetting process, involving a California Lottery law enforcement officer interview to verify that they are legitimate winners.
“It’s a really rigorous vetting process, particularly for these big jackpots, to make sure that the winner is actually the right winner and not some bad actor trying to claim to be the winner,” Becker said.
Becker said it could take weeks or months to release the information regarding the number of transactions. The identities will also be disclosed, adhering to California laws that require the lottery to publicize the winner’s complete name and location within a year.
Although two winning tickets being sold in one location is unusual, Becker said it is not impossible.
“Perhaps one person wanted to try their luck on two different rows for whatever reason, or maybe a couple of buddies wanted to try their chances with the same exact numbers,” Becker said.
When store manager Nitessh Karla arrived at the gas station Saturday morning, a barrage of voice mails greeted him, with one from state lottery officials telling him his store had sold the winning tickets.
“I got a telephone call [saying] ‘Your store hit the jackpot.’ Then I checked the machine and found out someone won the lotto,” Karla said.
Apart from the occasional Scratcher winner collecting a smaller jackpot, Karla said he had never witnessed a win like this in his nine years at the store.
Karla is skeptical that two customers purchased the winning tickets.
“Personally, I think it is the same guy. Maybe he forgets he already bought it and buys it again,” Karla said.
How the tickets were purchased is pivotal to whether Karla’s store receives only $1 million or nearly $2 million in lottery bonuses.
A retailer who sells a winning ticket is eligible to receive a bonus of half of 1% of the jackpot, capped at $1 million. But if a retailer sells two tickets that both win on the same game, it could be considered two transactions and result in more than $2 million in bonuses.
Becker said this bonus payout is “unprecedented in California in terms of a jackpot of this magnitude.” The California Lottery’s legal team is reviewing the regulations’ language, she said.
“Our lawyers are looking at it because if it’s one person, the retailer will get a million dollars,” Becker said. “The question is, do they get more than that? Do they get two bonuses that add up to more than a million dollars?”
The winning numbers for Friday’s game were 21, 26, 53, 66, 70, and the Mega number 13. This was the 10th Mega Million jackpot won in 2023.
The jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing Tuesday will be $20 million.
With the store’s newfound notoriety, Karla said he has seen an increase in customers buying lotto tickets and Scratchers, hoping the store’s luck hasn’t dried out yet.
