A Mega Millions ticket sold in California matched five numbers to win nearly $1.8 million and just missed the $1 billion jackpot, lottery officials say. The ticket matched five winning numbers, but not the Mega Ball, in the drawing Tuesday, Dec. 24, the national Mega Millions site said.

It’s not the $1 billion jackpot, but a lucky Mega Millions player in California won more than $1.7 million, before taxes, during Tuesday’s Christmas Eve drawing.

But customers didn’t seem to mind.That’s because it probably took longer to get to Hallelujah Junction today.The promise of more than a billion dollars brought Nevadans over the California state line.