A Georgia resident claimed the $983 million Mega Millions jackpot from the Nov. 14 drawing on Friday, Jan. 2. It’s the largest lottery prize ever claimed in Georgia.
What’s Happening: The Georgia Lottery Corp. announced the winner came forward and took the cash option of $453.6 million before taxes. The winner chose to remain anonymous under Georgia law and waited two months to claim their prize.
What’s Important: The jackpot breaks Georgia’s previous lottery record of $478.2 million. That Powerball prize was won in Buford on Oct. 23, 2024. Two people split that jackpot and took a cash option of $230.6 million.
What the Winner Said: The winner is from Georgia and has family members who received the HOPE Scholarship, which is funded by lottery proceeds. The winner said they play regularly to support HOPE and Pre-K programs. They saw the jackpot on a Georgia Lottery billboard, which reminded them to buy the ticket. After hearing there was a winner, they checked the lottery website and saw they had the winning numbers. The winner plans to use the money across generations and give back to good causes.
Where the Ticket Was Sold: Publix #1816 at 4000 N. Highway 29 in Newnan sold the winning Quik Pik ticket. The store will receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
How Mega Millions Works: Tickets cost $5 per play with a multiplier included. Drawings happen Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time. Georgia residents with a Georgia mailing address who are in the state can buy tickets at retailers, through the Georgia Lottery app, or online at galottery.com.
Where the Money Goes: Lottery proceeds fund the HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program. Since it started, the Georgia Lottery has returned more than $30.2 billion to the state for education. More than 2.25 million students have received HOPE scholarships. More than 2.2 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide voluntary prekindergarten program.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
