Somebody who either lives on the Central Coast or visited there recently is now fabulously wealthy.
The winning ticket — worth nearly $700 million — was sold recently at the Albertson’s in Morro Bay, KSBY reported Monday night.
The lucky numbers were 12, 22, 54, 66, 69, and the Powerball number was 15.
That match came after 40 drawings without a winner in the lottery played in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
No one had won the game’s grand prize since June 5.
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Fifth-Biggest Powerball Winner
Monday night’s jackpot of $699.8 million is the fifth-largest Powerball payout ever and the seventh-largest in U.S. lottery history.
The largest lottery payout ever: $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, split among three winners.
Albertsons will receive a bonus of $1 million for selling the winning ticket.
The winner can choose between an annuity option paid over 29 years or the cash option of $496 million. However, the actual cash in hand will be lower because of taxes.
Winner’s Identity Unknown
Lottery officials won’t know the identity of the holder of the winning ticket until a claim form is filed, the California Lottery said.
The 41st drawing set a record, topping the previous mark of 36 drawings that ended in January 2021. The longer the game goes without a grand prize winner, the larger the payout grows.
The jackpot drought was by design, as the game’s long odds of 292.2 million to one are intended to generate massive prizes that draw more players.
