For two lucky lottery winners it was quite a way to ring in 2026. A Mega Millions drawing just before Thanksgiving made someone in Georgia a near-billionaire and weeks later the Christmas Eve Powerball for 1. 817 billion matched one players ticket from Arkansas.
For two lucky lottery winners it was quite a way to ring in 2026. A Mega Millions drawing just before Thanksgiving made someone in Georgia a near-billionaire and weeks later the Christmas Eve Powerball for 1.817 billion matched one players ticket from Arkansas. The Georgia Lottery announced Tuesday Jan. 6 that the 983 million Mega Millions winner a Peach State resident who bought their ticket from a Publix in Newnan Georgia came forward. In November just before Thanksgiving and the 2025 holiday season Mega Millions drawings were rolling over and increasing in prize to the tune of a cool 980 million. Finally one lucky ticket scored the perfect number combination just before Turkey Day. A Publix grocery store in Georgia sold the winning ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday Nov. 14 2025 Mega Millions drawing. Final sales pushed the total to 983 million according to the Georgia Lottery. The lottery frenzy of the 2025 holiday season continued. One ticket perfectly matched to win the Powerball jackpot for 1.817 billion on Wednesday Dec. 24. A Murphy USA gas station at a Walmart in Cabot Arkansas sold the winning ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Powerball in the 2025 Christmas Eve Powerball drawing. Final sales pushed the total from 1.7 billion to a whopping 1.817 billion. As of Tuesday Jan. 6 the 1.817 billion Powerball winner has not come forward to claim their prize. The Georgia Lottery however shared details about the 983 million Mega Millions winner. Heres what we know about the 2025 holiday season Mega Millions and Powerball lottery jackpots worth almost 1 billion or more and its winners. On Tuesday Jan. 6 2026 Georgia Lottery said in a news release that the 983 million jackpot winner from the Friday Nov. 14 2025 Mega Millions drawing came forward Friday Jan. 2 to claim the largest lottery prize in Georgia history. The winner who elected to stay anonymous selected the cash option which amounts to 453.6 million before taxes according to galottery.com. They shared some details the lottery organization said including that they are from Georgia and have family members who have benefited from the Georgia Lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship. Georgia Lottery added the winner plays the state lottery regularly to support HOPE and Pre-K and seeing the big jackpot on a Georgia Lottery billboard which at the time was for a whopping 980 million for Friday Nov. 14 2025 reminded them to buy the lucky ticket. Wow! Powerball Mega Millions and the 1 billion jackpot Christmas connection The 980 million Mega Millions ticket was sold at Publix 4000 N. Highway 29 Newnan Georgia for the Friday Nov. 14 2025 Mega Millions lottery drawing. It was a quick pick ticket. The Georgia Lottery said the store received a 50 000 commission for selling a near-1 billion winning Mega Millions lottery ticket. Retail bonuses vary by state for example two Publix stores in Florida received 100 000 each during previous billion-dollar jackpots. In California retailers get 1 million. These numbers really won a prize! What are the odds? California lottery numbers had 16 17 18 19 20 Mega Millions jackpot winners have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes per Georgia Lottery rules. In this case the 980 million Mega Millions winner from Friday Nov. 14 2025 drawing had until Wednesday May 13 2026 to claim their prize in person at Georgia Lottery headquarters. Georgia Lottery said the winner came forward to take the one-time lump sum option on Friday Jan. 2 2026. Murphy USA gas station 208 S. Rockwood Drive Cabot Arkansas sold the lottery ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Powerball in the Wednesday Dec. 24 2025 or Christmas Eve Powerball drawing for a then-1.7 billion jackpot. According to Murphy USA online Murphy USA gas stations typically are near a Walmart store while Murphy Express stores are standalone stations. Murphy USA stations tend to be smaller kiosk-format stores while Murphy Express stations tend to be larger traditional convenience store formats. The company headquartered in El Dorado Arkansas operates more than 1 700 (Murphy USA stores) in 27 states across the country. Maps show the Murphy USA gas station in the Walmart Supercenter that sold the golden ticket is close to a Home Depot Kroger Olive Garden and Cabot Emergency Hospital. Cabot is about 30 miles from Little Rock Arkansas. In a Dec. 30 2025 press release from the Arkansas State Lottery the Murphy USA received a 50 000 commission or lottery bonus for selling the billion-dollar Powerball ticket. As of Tuesday Jan. 6 2026 almost two weeks after the Christmas Eve drawing the winner of the 1.817 billion Powerball has not come forward. According to Powerball online ticket expiration dates typically vary from 90 days to one year depending on the selling jurisdiction. The expiration date is often listed on the back of your ticket. Powerball jackpot winners have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes per Arkansas Scholarship Lottery rules. In this case the 1.817 billion Powerball winner from Wednesday Dec. 24 2025 or Christmas Eve drawing has until Monday June 22 2026 to claim their prize in person at Arkansas Scholarship Lottery headquarters 124 W. Capitol Ave. Little Rock AR 72201. Call 501-683-2060. The sole jackpot winner could claim 1.817 billion over annual payments or take a one-time lump sum valued at 834.9 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year Powerball.com states. According to a story in Forbes posted soon after the Powerball winner was announced if the cash reward is picked the winnings will first drop to around 634.5 million after a mandatory federal withholding of 24 is applied. Further the winner would likely face a federal marginal rate of 37 depending on their taxable income with another cut to the winnings to about 526 million (from 1.817 billion). Arkansas Scholarship Lottery online states another 3.9 tax on prizes more than 5 000 will be withheld. When it comes to staying anonymous after winning a Powerball or Mega Millions grand prize lottery rules differ per state. The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery site says winners grant the ASL the right to use and publish (in print or online) However since 2021 thanks to Act 889 from the Arkansas State Legislature formerly known as SB355 a lottery winner in Arkansas can remain anonymous for a short period of time three years. Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. 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