45 jackpot-winning tickets in one California Lottery Fantasy 5 drawing

May 6, 2022, 12:45 pm (24 comments)

California Lottery

Unusually high number of top prize winners in Pick 5-style game

By Kate Northrop

A whopping 45 winning tickets won the California Lottery's Fantasy 5 jackpot worth $344,700 on Sat., Apr. 30, with each ticket getting an equal share of the prize.

The California Lottery's Fantasy 5 game had an astonishing number of winners after an interesting combination of winning numbers were drawn on Saturday.

On Saturday night, the game produced the winning numbers 3, 6, 9, 36, and 39. With 45 tickets matching all five numbers to hit the $344,700 jackpot, each of those winning tickets is worth $7,660.

"Though it's highly unusual for the Lottery to have 45 jackpot-winning tickets for one draw, this appears to be a wild coincidence with the winning numbers all being some combination of 3, 6, or 9," Lottery spokesperson Carolyn Becker said in a press release. "We take the integrity of our games very seriously, and our security team confirms that nothing out of the ordinary took place with last night's draw, other than the outcome."

The California Lottery operates drawings for the Fantasy 5 game using a computerized random number generator.

"All of our draws happen under tight security, and we always have an independent auditor present for each draw as well," Becker continued. "We do have a lot of lottery players who feel strongly about numerology and certain lucky numbers, so it appears last night's combination of winning numbers worked in their favor."

According to the Lottery, jackpot-winning tickets were sold in 15 counties across the state. For this particular drawing, there were 104,572 winning tickets in total.

To play Fantasy 5, players pick five numbers between 1 and 39 at $1 a play. The jackpot starts between $60,000 and $80,000 and increases if there is no winner. Drawings take place every day after sales close at 6:30 pm PT.

Thanks to Mario for the tip.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Tony Numbers's avatarTony Numbers

It's very possible that combination was printed on a fortune cookie fortune. And many copies of said combination were distributed to Chinese restaurants throughout California.

winsumloosesum's avatarwinsumloosesum

That many tickets it's possible that 1 person had every ticket.

3-6-9-36-39

Or system players wheeled 2nd digit numbers that contained only 3-6-9

Tony Numbers's avatarTony Numbers

Quote: Originally posted by winsumloosesum on May 6, 2022

That many tickets it's possible that 1 person had every ticket.

3-6-9-36-39

Or system players wheeled 2nd digit numbers that contained only 3-6-9

It says in the story 45 winners were spread out over 15 counties.

cottoneyedjoe's avatarcottoneyedjoe

Quote: Originally posted by winsumloosesum on May 6, 2022

That many tickets it's possible that 1 person had every ticket.

3-6-9-36-39

Or system players wheeled 2nd digit numbers that contained only 3-6-9

They were purchased from various stores around the state. I copied and pasted the winners here:

https://www.lotterypost.com/thread/340679/6940170

Mata Garbo

I can imagine this was probably a lot of birthdays of children and parents ages being played on the same drawing.  But it is very strange that the numbers 3,6,and 9 are separated by 3, while 36 and 39 are also separated by 3. I have never seen lottery numbers combined in that manner.

Having said that......the "fortune cookie" explanation from "Tony Numbers"makes a lot of sense.

LurkingUS Flag

JeetKuneDoLotto's avatarJeetKuneDoLotto

Quote: Originally posted by Tony Numbers on May 6, 2022

It says in the story 45 winners were spread out over 15 counties.

It could be said that the winner had no day job.  And so he went on a world tour of every county in commiefornia.

 

fellini

Quote: Originally posted by JeetKuneDoLotto on May 6, 2022

It could be said that the winner had no day job.  And so he went on a world tour of every county in commiefornia.

 

funny.

Evyy123

Were all the tickets computer picks?Maybe the computerized random number generator pick from the easy pick tickets just saying.You cannot trust a computer drawing.

PrisonerSix

Quote: Originally posted by Tony Numbers on May 6, 2022

It's very possible that combination was printed on a fortune cookie fortune. And many copies of said combination were distributed to Chinese restaurants throughout California.

That is very possible. I remember years ago reading a story about how there were several wins on Powerball, not the grand prize, but I think it was a match 4 numbers that occurred in multiple states. It turned out many of those people used fortune cookie numbers.

There was also a similar occurrence when people all over the country played a set of numbers associated with the TV series Lost.

That's a reason I wouldn't play fortune cookie or other such numbers because I'd be sharing the jackpot with too many people.

cottoneyedjoe's avatarcottoneyedjoe

Quote: Originally posted by PrisonerSix on May 6, 2022

That is very possible. I remember years ago reading a story about how there were several wins on Powerball, not the grand prize, but I think it was a match 4 numbers that occurred in multiple states. It turned out many of those people used fortune cookie numbers.

There was also a similar occurrence when people all over the country played a set of numbers associated with the TV series Lost.

That's a reason I wouldn't play fortune cookie or other such numbers because I'd be sharing the jackpot with too many people.

I hope the CALottery follows up with the winners as they come forward to claim their prizes to survey why they chose those particular numbers, and how many happened to be QPs.

MrLotto$

Wow only $7,660 they must be pretty pissed.. and then they going to get taxed on top of that.. incredible

MrLotto$

No

thell128's avatarthell128

The tickets were sold at 30 stores and was 45 winners so someone or some people had more than one ticket.

grwurston's avatargrwurston

Quote: Originally posted by MrLotto$ on May 7, 2022

Wow only $7,660 they must be pretty pissed.. and then they going to get taxed on top of that.. incredible

That's what happens in the pari-mutuel states. You think you won big and, nuh-uh.  No No

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