The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $820 million, one of the largest in the game's history. South Carolina has had several big lottery winners, including a $1.5 billion Mega Millions winner in 2018. The state has also seen other major Powerball and Mega Millions prizes won over the years.
The most recent Powerball jackpot has soared to an estimated 820 million marking it as one of the top jackpots in the history of the game. But for South Carolinians dreaming of a big win the odds of winning big might not be in their favor. South Carolina has had several big lottery wins over the years but it's not one of the luckiest places in the United States according to Jackpot.com. But South Carolina is home to one 1 billion ticket winner along with plenty of other winners. The ongoing Powerball drawing has produced several winners with the most recent South Carolina wins coming from the Dec. 1 drawing a ticket at Red Rocket Fireworks in Fort Mill won 150 000 and another ticket won 50 000 at the Main Street Express LLC in Conway. Here's a look at some of the biggest Powerball and Mega Millions prizes ever won in South Carolina and when the next big Powerball drawing happens. The biggest winning ticket in the Palmetto State actually came from the Upstate. In October 2018 the 1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot winner was an anonymous South Carolina woman who bought a ticket while visiting Greenville County. She opted for a one-time lump-sum payment of 877 784 124 according to South Carolina Lottery officials. It was the largest win ever in South Carolina and the last time South Carolina had a jackpot win. In South Carolina lottery winners can remain anonymous. So while names of winners aren't always available we do know where and when some of the biggest wins have happened. Here's a look at some other big jackpots won in the state and where they were won. The previous record holder before the 2018 Mega Millions win was a man who bought a 400 million Powerball ticket in the Columbia area in 2013 who never wanted to be identified. According to reports from Greenville News on the day of the Powerball drawing the man had stopped for gas at a Murphy Express in Lexington when his wife called and told him to pick up hot dog buns officials said. He didn't find any buns but he did leave with 20 in Powerball tickets. Rev. Solomon Jackson Jr. didn't hide behind anonymity to claim his 260 million Powerball prize in 2009. Jackson bought the ticket at the Murphy USA gas station on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia. He grew up in Columbia and retired from the state Department of Revenue. Jackson reportedly gave some of his earnings to educational causes including 500 000 to buy two 56-seat luxury coach buses for Benedict College according to previous reporting. A couple from Charlotte North Carolina were actually the first South Carolina jackpot winners. Anthony and Monica Wilson were identified as the winners of an 88 million jackpot in 2003. A store near Fort Mill sold the state's first-ever winning Powerball ticket from the Red Rocket on U.S. 21 near Fort Mill. Several actually. Lottery players in Maine Mississippi North Dakota and Wyoming have all been unlucky when it comes to picking the jackpot-winning ticket. Since these states have participated in the Powerball lottery these states have not sold a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket. The next Powerball drawing is on Saturday Dec. 6 at approximately 10 59 p.m. ET9 59 p.m. CT. Powerball has three drawings each week on Monday Wednesday and Saturday. Want to play Powerball but not quite sure how it works? Here are some things to know. In South Carolina tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations convenience stores and some grocery stores that sell them statewide. South Carolina does not have online sales of Powerball and other lottery tickets according to the South Carolina Education Lottery. You've got some time until the next drawing but sales of Powerball tickets end at 9 59 p.m. at retail stores the day of a drawing. Here's how the biggest jackpot prizes in Powerball history stack up USA TODAY contributed to this report