Escondido Powerball Winner Has Days Left to Claim $1.53 Million

A Powerball ticket worth $1,532,761 remains unclaimed in California, with only three days left before the August 20 deadline. The California Lottery is asking anyone who bought a ticket at Varso Gas in Escondido for the February 21 drawing to check it again.

Good to Know

• The ticket matched all five white balls but missed Powerball 21.
• The $1.53 million prize expires after August 20, 2026.
• If nobody claims it, the full prize goes to California public schools under state law.

$1.53 Million Powerball Deadline Nears in Escondido

The winning numbers were 27, 28, 36, 48 and 49, with Powerball 21. Varso Gas, at the corner of Escondido Boulevard and Brotherton Road in Escondido, sold the ticket.

California handles this prize differently from a Powerball jackpot. Jackpot winners get up to one year to claim, while a five-number Powerball winner has 180 days from the drawing date. For the February 21 ticket, that period ends August 20.

Anyone holding the winning ticket must provide the original ticket, valid government-issued photo identification and a completed claim form. California Lottery District Offices accept claims, and the Lottery says offices operate Monday through Friday.

The unusual $1,532,761 payout comes from the California pari-mutuel prize system. Unlike states that generally pay a fixed $1 million for matching five white balls, California calculates non-jackpot Powerball prizes according to sales and the number of winners in that prize category.

No winner has publicly come forward as of August 17. Claims that the buyer may have been visiting from Nevada remain speculation, and the California Lottery has not identified the ticket holder.

If the deadline passes without a valid claim, California law directs the $1.53 million to public education. The California Lottery says more than $1.1 billion in unclaimed prizes has gone toward schools since ticket sales began in 1985.

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