A California man unknowingly held onto a winning Mega Millions ticket worth over $1 million — until a surprising message from a coworker revealed his luck.
Michael Chavez, a resident of Lakewood, said he purchased his ticket at Lake Liquor and didn’t think twice about it. The winning ticket matched five numbers from the November 5 draw: 2, 24, 25, 52, and 58. The Megaplier was 9, significantly boosting the prize.
Chavez only discovered his win after waking up in the middle of the night to check presidential election results. “I actually woke up in the middle of the night to check the election results to see who won for president, not Mega Millions,” he told KTLA. “I went back to bed without looking at my ticket.”
The next day, Chavez received a text from a coworker jokingly asking if he skipped work because he had won. That prompted him to check the numbers—and realize he had.
The store that sold the winning ticket will receive a $6,000 bonus from the California Lottery.
According to lottery officials, the fastest way to claim prizes over $600 is by visiting a Lottery District Office. Offices are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and no appointment is needed.
Mega Millions tickets currently cost $2 per play, but prices are expected to increase to $5 in April—though only in California. The lottery says the price hike will lead to larger jackpots and more frequent wins.
Players choose five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. The odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. There are nine ways to win, starting at $2 for matching only the Mega Ball.
For an extra $1, players can add the Megaplier option, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4, or 5. The multiplier is drawn from a pool of 15 balls before each drawing.
Meanwhile, lottery officials continue to urge players to check their tickets. A $2 million Mega Millions prize and a multi-million dollar Powerball prize both remain unclaimed.
