Lotto fever is hitting a crescendo across the nation as the Powerball jackpot swells to a staggering $760 million, but a couple of players in Texas and California aren't feeling the heat — they've already cashed in big. A lucky player in Texas snagged a cool $2 million prize after their ticket matched all five numbers in Wednesday's draw, as reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, missed the Powerball by a whisker.
Meanwhile, Northern California is toasting to its nearly-made-it millionaire, with a winning ticket worth $450,000 sold at a 7-Eleven in El Dorado Hills. The numbers lined up save for the elusive Powerball also. There was a previous ticket in the state that grabbed a $2.08 million slice of the pie in the Monday draw. The Wednesday winning numbers, in case you're checking yours, were 4, 11, 38, 51, and 68, with Powerball 5, per Miami Herald.
No one hit the jackpot this week, pushing the potential payout for Saturday's draw to an eye-popping $760 million. It's a number that has lottery participants daydreaming about what-if scenarios. The Texas Lottery officials confirmed the $2 million ticket was picked up in Katy, it got its extra million-dollar oomph from matching the Power Play.
Ticket sales have soared as the jackpot inches ever closer to the billion-dollar mark, with the California Lottery outlining over 218,000 prize-winning tickets ranging from $3 to more than $23,000 have been sold in the state it's an exciting time for many as they contemplate their odds, tossing a few bucks at the dream of hitting it big. The next drawing on Saturday has hopefuls in a frenzy, tickets being bought at a breakneck pace with the hope that Lady Luck will grace them with a life-changing win.
