American Files Lawsuit Demanding Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot via Court: Winning Ticket Lost

^{Pictured: A Chevron gas station, the first retailer to sell two Mega Millions jackpot-winning tickets in one day}

A Los Angeles resident, Faramarz Lahijani, who won half of a $395 million Mega Millions jackpot last year, has filed a lawsuit against the California Lottery. Lahijani is demanding the remaining $197.5 million, claiming to be the rightful owner of a second winning ticket he says he misplaced, according to Casino.org.

Earlier reports indicated that the California Lottery had not located the holder of the second ticket, purchased at the same Chevron station on December 8, 2023 — the same day and location as Lahijani’s known winning ticket. State rules stipulated that if the prize remained unclaimed, the funds would be redirected to support educational programs.

Now, the situation has taken a new turn, as Lahijani claims he is indeed the buyer of the second ticket. The only issue is that he allegedly lost this ticket.

The puzzling part remains: why did the player buy two tickets with identical numbers when one would have sufficed? This question remains unanswered for now.

Lahijani filed the lawsuit just a few days before the deadline to present the winning ticket (exactly one year from the draw date). Representatives of the California Lottery have refrained from commenting on the ongoing legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Chevron gas station owner benefited from the sales, earning approximately $1.9 million under state rules awarding 0.5% of the prize to retailers selling jackpot-winning tickets exceeding $1 million.