LOS ANGELES — The California Lottery has released the name of a second lottery winner who took home a Powerball jackpot worth more than $1 billion last year.
Yanira Alvarez bought the winning Powerball ticket at Las Palmitas Mini Market in Los Angeles last July.
Her win ended a 39-draw winless streak for Powerball. It was also the first of back-to-back billion-dollar winners in California. Last week, a group represented by Theodorus Struyck came forward to claim the $1.765 billion prize they won in October 2023. Their winning ticket was purchased in the small Kern County mountain town of Frazier Park.
Both winners respectfully declined to comment, the state lottery said. The U.S. lottery record was set by a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California in 2022. California lottery players have won, or co-won, the top four-largest jackpots in Powerball history dating back to 2016.
Most lottery jackpot winners stay anonymous, if they can. But often that's not up to them to decide. While winners in some states can choose to stay anonymous, California law requires the jackpot winner's name to be released when they come forward to claim their prize, but they can choose to keep other details private.
Saturday's Powerball jackpot is still shy of $1 billion, and has reached an estimated $935 million. Another draw Saturday without a win could put Monday's jackpot above the billion-dollar mark.
U.S. lottery jackpots have soared in recent years, now regularly crossing the billion-dollar threshold. A winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in New Jersey Tuesday is worth an estimated $1.13 billion, the fifth-largest prize in Mega Millions history and the seventh-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.
When is the Powerball drawing?
The Powerball drawing takes place live at 10:59 p.m. Eastern every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What are the largest Powerball jackpots?
- $2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA
- $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $935 Million (est.) – March 30, 2024
- $842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI
- $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI
- $758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA
- $754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA
- $731.1 Million – Jan. 20, 2021 – MD
What are the largest US lottery jackpots ever won?
- $2.04 billion: Powerball - Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.76 billion – Oct. 11, 2023
- $1.586 billion: Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.58 billion: Mega Millions – Aug. 8, 2023 – FL
- $1.537 billion: Mega Millions – Oct. 23, 2018 - SC
- $1.35 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 13, 2023 - ME
- $1.337 billion: Mega Millions - July 29, 2022 - IL
- $1.13 billion: Mega Millions - March 26, 2024 - NJ
- $1.08 billion: Powerball – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $1.05 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 22, 2021 - MI
The Associated Press contributed.