Title: California Ticket Holder Wins $1.7 Million in Mega Millions Drawing

In the latest Mega Millions drawing held on Tuesday, no one emerged as the jackpot winner. However, a fortunate individual in California came incredibly close to clinching the top prize, as their ticket matched five numbers, earning them a substantial payout of $1,748,612. The winning ticket was sold at a liquor store in Sacramento, as confirmed by the California Lottery.

The winning numbers drawn were 24, 46, 49, 62, 66, with the Mega number being 7. This marked the 29th consecutive drawing without a ticket matching all six numbers. While tickets sold in other states with five matching numbers, except for the Mega number, are valued at $1 million, California law mandates that major lottery payouts are determined by sales and the number of winners, following a pari-mutuel basis.

Aside from the fortunate Californian ticket holder, three additional tickets with five numbers, excluding the Mega number, were sold in Florida, Texas, and Virginia. Each of these tickets is worth $1 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

With no jackpot winner, the Mega Millions estimated jackpot for the upcoming drawing on Friday has skyrocketed to a whopping $977 million, making it the 10th largest lottery jackpot in the United States. The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number stand at 1 in 302,575,350, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. Despite the challenging odds, the anticipation and excitement surrounding the massive jackpot continue to build.

Meanwhile, in the world of Powerball, the current jackpot has also been steadily growing. With a staggering total of $687 million up for grabs, the cash value is estimated at $327.3 million. Participants eagerly await the Wednesday night drawing, hoping to secure the life-changing jackpot.

As the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots continue to soar, lottery enthusiasts across the country are keeping their fingers crossed, dreaming of the incredible possibilities that lie ahead.