California

Powerball ticket sold in California wins $700,000 as jackpot hits $1.25 billion

Nobody won the jackpot, which rises to an estimated $1.25 billion, with a cash value of about $572.1 million.
Nobody won the jackpot, which rises to an estimated $1.25 billion, with a cash value of about $572.1 million. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Powerball ticket sold in Salinas fell just one number short of winning the $1.1 billion jackpot, lottery officials said.

Instead, the lucky ticket won $708,443.

The ticket matched five winning numbers but not the Powerball in the drawing Monday, Dec. 15, the California State Lottery said.

Eight other tickets matched four numbers and the Powerball to win $22,670 each.

California adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and number of winners.

Where were winning Powerball tickets sold in California?

The $700,0000 ticket was sold at Star Market at 1275 Main St., in Salinas, which is in Monterey County.

What were winning numbers in Monday’s drawing?

The winning numbers were 23, 35, 59, 63 and 68 with a Powerball of 2.

The Power Play multiplier was 4x.

A ticket sold in Arizona won $1 million, the national Powerball site said.

What is the Powerball jackpot up to now?

Nobody won the jackpot, which grows to an estimated $1.25 billion, with a cash value of about $572.1 million, for the next drawing Wednesday, Dec. 17, the national Powerball site said.

Nearly 2.3 million other Powerball tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $4 to $200,000, the lottery said. There were more than 320,000 winners in California.

The Powerball jackpot was last won Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas split the nearly $1.8 billion grand prize.

How to play Powerball lottery game

To score a jackpot in Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state. In California, sales are cut off at 7 p.m. Pacific Time, the day of the drawing.

When is the next Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:59 p.m. Pacific Time and can be streamed online.

The next drawing will be Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Powerball ticket sold in California wins $700,000 as jackpot hits $1.25 billion."

Related Stories from Merced Sun-Star
DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER