California remains one of the U.S. states that prohibit online casino gaming and sports betting. While there’s been a lot of discussion over allowing these activities, efforts to make them legal have faced significant opposition and regulatory hurdles.
However, residents of the Golden State can still play on online platforms based outside the U.S. Those opting for the best offshore online casinos also have the chance to pick up lucrative welcome bonuses and other promotions.
But what about games of luck that are readily available to Californians? One of these games is the Mega Millions lottery, which has made all the headlines in the past few weeks.
Namely, the reason why Mega Millions has been in the spotlight recently is a lawsuit involving a jackpot winner who claims to have purchased two identical winning tickets but lost one. While he’s already claimed the first half of the $394 million jackpot, he’s now suing California Lottery in the hope of keeping the entire pot.
Winner Files Lawsuit, Hoping to Claim the Entire $394 Million Jackpot
To unravel the full story behind this weird situation, we need to rewind to December 8th, 2023. On that fateful day, the winning numbers were 21, 26, 53, 66,70, and the Mega Ball 13.
The man who had one of the two winning tickets was Faramarz Lahijani. He came forward in June 2024 to claim the winnings from one of the two tickets sold at the same place – a Chevron gas station in Encino. Lahijani presented one ticket, successfully claiming $197.5 million.
The owner of the other lottery ticket had until December 8th, 2024 to file a claim for the ticket. However, they never did this.
Lahijani now claims that he’s the rightful owner of both winning tickets, but has lost the other one. To prove that this is the case, he’ll be taking the California Lottery to court. He filed a lawsuit on December 6th, 2024, two days before the deadline for filing a claim for the second ticket.
The lucky winner claims that the numbers he played on his first ticket are identical to those he always plays.
The original plan for the other half of the winnings was for the money to be awarded to public schools across California. Now, with the lawsuit going on, we’ll have to wait and see what’s going to happen with the other $197.5 million.
The California Lottery has declined to make any comments on this case. The organization said that it wouldn’t be appropriate for it to discuss an active lawsuit or any pending litigation in order to protect the integrity of the process.
Can We Know For Sure Who Won the Other $197.5 Million?
The California Lottery employs certain strategies to help find jackpot winners. It announces publicly where the lottery ticket was purchased, reminding those who bought tickets in that area to check their numbers again.
However, there’s more the lottery does to ensure the real winner is found. It employs law enforcement officers who are tasked with running an investigation process in order to find the exact individual who has won the jackpot.
During the investigation, the lucky winner has to respond to a certain set of questions that only they would know.
The officers also work with the retailer who has sold the winning ticket and check their security footage.
Put simply, the law enforcement officers’ job is to make sure the money goes to the actual winner.
The only problem is that the California Lottery processes over 10,000 claims a month and the entire process can take ages. Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the lottery, said that they try to average six to eight weeks, but added that the actual timeframe depends on various circumstances.
The process may be time-consuming, but Becker said that it’s of utmost importance that the money goes to the right hands. “We’re not in the business of giving away millions of dollars to just anyone. It has to be a sufficient supporting evidence that you are indeed the winner,” she added.
What Happens Next?
If there really exists a second winner, their deadline for claiming the money has passed. This doesn’t mean they can’t still get it, though.
One of the ways winners can claim their money is by mailing their winning ticket and required paperwork. As long as the mail is postmarked before the claim deadline, that person can still claim their money successfully.
Therefore, the next step is for the California Lottery to go through all the mail that arrives at its headquarters in Sacramento. With over 10,000 claims as we’ve previously stated, going through all the mail could take weeks.
If the second winner does exist and they’ve sent the ticket on time, they’ll still be able to claim their money. On the other hand, if they’ve let the ticket expire, it means they’ve forfeited the reward and the prize money would go to California public schools, in accordance with state lottery regulations.
Still, there’s also Lahijani’s lawsuit as he claims that the lottery has sufficient evidence that confirms he purchased the second ticket as well. He’s suing the lottery for breach of contract and declaratory relief and hopes to be awarded the remaining $197.5 million.
In the fiscal year 2023-24, funds from California Lottery games contributed to more than $2 billion in support of public education across the state. The organization raises this money through cumulative ticket sales and unclaimed winnings, ensuring that forfeited prizes benefit the community.
