Four California lottery players just turned a few one dollar Fantasy 5 plays into a combined $606,522, matching the top numbers in drawings on April 6, April 9 and April 10. The lucky tickets were sold at convenience stores and liquor shops up and down the state, from Fairfield and Stockton to Riverside and Hawthorne, with a Riverside ticket snagging the biggest single payout at $362,995.
According to The Sacramento Bee, the winning tickets included purchases at Jolly King Liquor & Food in Fairfield and Lakeside Market in Stockton, each worth $82,926 for the April 6 draw. A Tobacco Leaf Plus ticket in Riverside for the April 9 drawing paid $362,995, and a Plaza Liquor ticket in Hawthorne for the April 10 drawing paid $77,675. Together those four prizes total $606,522, The Sacramento Bee reporting shows.
How to claim a Fantasy 5 prize
Prizes of $600 or higher must be claimed at a California Lottery district office or by mail, and winners generally have 180 days from the date of the drawing to collect, per the California State Lottery. Smaller prizes, up to $599, can be collected at any participating retailer.
Retailers get a small bonus
The stores that sold the winning Fantasy 5 tickets also earn a commission. The Sacramento Bee notes that retailers receive about 0.5% of the winning amount for Fantasy 5 top prizes, a modest windfall that often brings extra foot traffic and publicity. Larger jackpot games can generate significantly bigger retailer bonuses, which the California Lottery highlights in its winner press releases.
Odds, cost and what to do next
Fantasy 5 plays cost $1 per ticket, and the odds of matching all five numbers are about 1 in 575,757, according to the California State Lottery. If you think you hold a winning ticket, sign it, keep it in a safe place and contact Lottery officials or visit a district office to start the claim process.
