$33.4-Million Lotto Jackpot Sparks Sales

Gamblers trying to beat 1-in-14 million odds lined up Wednesday to buy millions of Lotto 6/49 tickets throughout the state in hopes of claiming a $33.4-million jackpot, the third largest ever for the game.

The winning numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing were 1, 4, 15, 22, 26, 46, with the bonus number 35, state lottery officials said. Whether anyone picked the six numbers will be determined by computer and announced today.

Ticket sales for the game totaled $35 million--$850,000 on Sunday, $3.5 million Monday, $4.7 million Tuesday and $26 million Wednesday, lottery spokesman John Schade said.

All those who picked five numbers, plus the bonus number, will divide among themselves a prize pool of $3.7 million, those who selected five of six numbers will share $1.9 million and those with four of six will share $1.7 million. Three of six numbers is worth an automatic $5 per winner.

The size of the jackpot depends on the pace of sales and rollovers, or additions, of past prizes that nobody wins.

Three consecutive rollovers helped generate the large jackpot for the Wednesday drawing.

If no one picks all six correct numbers in Lotto 6/49 again, the resulting prize rollover could push the Saturday jackpot to a record amount, lottery officials said.

The second largest jackpot, $39.1 million, was awarded Aug. 24. The largest, $51.4 million, came on June 4.

The twice-weekly drawings, on Saturdays and Wednesdays, are televised live from a studio in Sacramento.

Despite heavy play, lottery spokesman Bob Taylor said, the Lotto network was performing properly. Terminals at stores throughout the state are used to log the $1 bets into central computers.

LOTTERY RESULTS OCT. 26

Wednesday’s Winning Numbers:

1-4-15-22-26-46

Lotto Jackpot: $33.4 million

Bonus Number: 35

Recorded Information

976-4275 (English)

976-5275 (Spanish)