RELEASE DATE: 9/17/2019
SACRAMENTO – Laarni Bibal didn’t think much of it when she bought her ticket for the Mega Millions draw on June 7th. That is, until the next day when she heard that a California ticket had hit the jackpot and was purchased at her usual retail store. “My heart started beating really fast!” the lucky winner explained.
Bibal purchased her ticket, as she often does, at Sorrento Deli Mart, which is located at 10920 Roselle Street, Suite 109-110 in San Diego. Her numbers chosen through Quick Pick (27-68-17-19-40 and the Mega number 2) matched all six numbers chosen and won her the jackpot prize of $522 million! Bibal chose the cash option and will receive $340 million (before federal taxes). Sorrento Deli Mart will also collect a retailer bonus of $1 million just for selling the winning ticket. (This bonus is not subtracted from the winner’s prize.)
Bibal took some time before claiming her ticket and used the Lottery’s Winners Handbook for information on becoming California newest millionaire. She plans to pay off debt and buy a house with her prize. When asked where she kept the ticket while waiting to claim, she replied, “In a secret hiding place.” When asked where that was, she said, “I can’t tell you. The secret hiding place is still a secret!”
Mega Millions is played in 44 states (plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Draw times are Tuesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. PT. The draw closes at 7:45 p.m., so players must buy their tickets by then to qualify for that draw. Tickets cost $2 and can be purchased from any of the more than 23,000 California Lottery retailers or one of the more than 4,000 Lottery Lucky retailers. Please visit the California Lottery website at www.calottery.com for more information on how to play.
The California Lottery’s mission is to provide supplemental funding to California public schools, including kindergarten and grades 1-12, community colleges, the California State University, the University of California, and other California public educational entities. In fiscal year 2017-18 the Lottery transferred more than $1.7 billion to public education. This funding translates to an average of about $211 per student for students attending California’s public schools. During the same period the Lottery generated almost $7 billion in sales, more than 95% of which goes back to the community in the form of prize payments, retailer commissions and bonuses, and contributions to education. The California Lottery urges its customers to play responsibly. Problem gambling resources are available to anyone at 1-800-GAMBLER.
Media contact: California Lottery Corporate Communications,
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