The 40th time was the charm, apparently, when a Georgia ticket won the Mega Millions $980 million jackpot in a record prize for the state, closing out the longest non-jackpot dry spell in the game’s 23-year history.
The ticket, which improbably matched all six numbers (1, 8, 11, 12 and 57) plus the gold Mega Ball (7), was the eighth-largest prize since Mega Millions started in 2002, lottery officials said. Odds of that happening were 1 in 290.5 million.
Friday’s mega winner had not yet come forward as of Monday morning, so it was not known whether they would take an annuity or the pretax lump sum payment of about $452.2 million.
The Quik Pik ticket was bought at a Publix supermarket in Newnan, an approximately 46,000-population suburb about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. The Publix will get $50,000, as per lottery protocol.
“Georgia is one of the founding members of Mega Millions, and this is the largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot won in the state, and its first since November 2016,” Mega Millions said in its media release.
The winnings eclipsed the state’s previous jackpot, a $478.2 million Powerball prize won in October 2024, the Georgia Lottery said.
“We are thrilled to congratulate the largest winner in our state’s history,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin said in a statement. “With every Mega Millions ticket sold in Georgia supporting HOPE and Pre-K, Georgia’s students and families are also big winners. We appreciate our players and retailers for their support of our mission.”
Lottery proceeds are used to fund education in the 45 states that participate in Mega Millions, plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With News Wire Services
