CA Gas Station Sells 2 Jackpot-Winning Mega Millions Tickets

LOS ANGELES — A gas station in Encino sold two lucky tickets that both hit the jackpot Friday night for a Mega Millions drawing of nearly $400 million, lottery officials said on Saturday.

Both tickets matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball in the drawing, according to the California Lottery. They were purchased at the Chevron station at 18081 Ventura Boulevard, officials said.

If the tickets were purchased by separate people, the players will split the $395 million prize and have the option of receiving $197.5 million in annual installments, or a lump sum cash payment of $94.3 million before taxes, the state lottery said.

Carolyn Becker, the deputy director of the California Lottery's Office of Public Affairs and Communications, told City News Service that she was not sure if such a coincidence has ever occurred before.

The numbers drawn Friday were 21, 26, 53, 66, 70 and the Mega Ball number was 13. It was the 18th drawing since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold on Oct. 6.

There were no tickets sold matching five numbers, but missing the Mega number. Such a ticket sold in California would have been worth $2,849,296.

The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in 302,575,350, according to the California Lottery. The overall chance of winning a prize is 1 in 24.

The Mega Millions game is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands. The jackpot for Tuesday's drawing will be $20 million.

City News Service contributed to this report.