The winning numbers Monday night were 12, 22, 54 and 66. The Powerball was 15.
The Powerball jackpot reached $699.8million after nearly four months worth of futility. Final ticket sales made it the seventh-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. Since June 5, no one has won the grand prize.
Officials said that this was the first Monday night jackpot win since Aug. 23, when the game began a third weekly drawing.
The California Lottery reports that the winning ticket was purchased at a Morro Bay grocery store, which is located on the state’s central coast. The winner can choose from either the $496 million cash option or an annuity option that will pay over 29 years. Both prize options are subject tax.
The California Lottery stated that Lottery officials will not know the identity of the winner of the winning ticket until they file a claim form.
Five $1 million winning tickets were sold: two in Massachusetts, one in Virginia, Florida, and Arizona.
The record for the 41st drawing was broken by surpassing 36 drawings set in January 2021. The payout increases the longer the game continues without a grand prize winner.
The jackpot drought was intentional, since the long odds of winning were 292.2 million to 1. This is to ensure that more players will be drawn to the game.
Officials at Lottery have noticed that even though there has been a long wait for a winning ticket, many people have won smaller prizes. Saturday’s drawing saw 2.8 million players. These winnings were between $1 million and $4.
Powerball can be played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
