A South Carolina woman won a $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot in 2018, the largest prize ever won in the state. While South Carolina has had several big lottery wins, it is not considered one of the luckiest states. The ongoing Powerball drawing has produced smaller wins for ticket buyers in the state.
It has been years since a South Carolinian has won the jackpot for Mega Millions or Powerball. But for those 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 it isn't unlucky either. The ongoing Powerball drawing has produced several smaller wins for ticket buyers in the Palmetto State with the most recent South Carolina wins coming from the Dec. 17 drawing a ticket worth 50 000 was bought at the J K Mart at 5102 Two Notch Road in Columbia. Another ticket worth 50 000 was purchased at Food Lion 1605 7631 N. Kings Hwy. in Myrtle Beach. And while it may have been a while for a big jackpot win in the state South Carolina is also home to one 1 billion ticket winner along with plenty of other winners. 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 and bought her ticket at KC Mart in Simpsonville. 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 the Greenville News on the day of the Powerball drawing the man stopped for gas at a Murphy Express in Lexington where 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 Monday Dec. 22 at approximately 10 59 p.m. ET9 59 p.m. CT. Powerball has three drawings each week on Monday Wednesday and Saturday. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. 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 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