Lottery Winner News

Sanford resident Oscar Mendoza claimed a $1 million top prize on the Jumbo Bucks scratch-off game, with the $10 winning ticket purchased at the Circle K on South Horner Boulevard in Sanford, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced.

The win came roughly two months after Mendoza collected a separate $100,000 prize from a $100,000 Cash Payday scratch-off ticket in May, giving him two major lottery wins in a single summer.

North Carolina Education Lottery proceeds fund the state's pre-kindergarten program, school construction, and college scholarships, among other education initiatives statewide.

A Georgia Lottery player won $5 million playing the Max the Money scratch-off game, with the winning ticket purchased at The Country Store on Piedmont Highway in Cedartown, according to an official press release from the Georgia Lottery.

The winner claimed the prize on June 20, 2026, choosing the cash option and receiving a payout of $2,579,679 after the standard reduction applied to lump-sum lottery prizes.

The same release noted Georgia Lottery players claimed more than $42.8 million in scratch-off prizes that week alone, including a separate $1 million win in Decatur the same week.

A Decatur resident won the $1 million top prize on the Xtreme Cash scratch-off game, the Georgia Lottery confirmed in an official release.

The ticket was purchased at AAA Lucky Mart on Lawrenceville Highway, and the winner claimed the prize on June 18, 2026.

The win was one of several reported by the Georgia Lottery that week, alongside a $5 million scratch-off prize claimed in Cedartown and a $50,000 Powerball win in Duluth.

A Quick Pick ticket purchased at QuikTrip #4165 on Crystal Falls Parkway in Leander matched all six numbers in the May 2, 2026 Powerball drawing, the Texas Lottery announced. The prize was shared with a second winning ticket sold in Florida.

The Texas winner chose the cash value option at the time of purchase, worth an estimated $4.5 million before taxes, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. As of the announcement, the winner had not yet come forward to claim the prize.

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation executive director Courtney Arbour called it "a major win for a Texas Lottery player and an exciting moment for our state" in the official release. QuikTrip #4165 is eligible for a retailer bonus of up to $250,000 for selling the winning ticket.

This marked the fourth Powerball jackpot win by a Texas Lottery player overall, and the second in just eight months, following the $1.8 billion jackpot claimed by a Fredericksburg trust in September 2025.

A Warner Robins resident won the $2.5 million top prize on the Millionaire Jumbo Bucks scratch-off game, with the ticket purchased at the Lo-Lo Cigarette Outlet on Russell Parkway, the Georgia Lottery announced.

The winner claimed the prize on April 17, 2026. The Georgia Lottery did not release the winner's name, in line with its standard practice for unclaimed-identity requests.

The same release noted Georgia Lottery players claimed more than $42 million in scratch-off prizes statewide the week of the win.

A Pennsylvania Lottery player won the $1 million top prize on the 200X the Cash scratch-off game, with the winning ticket sold at the GIANT supermarket on Route 113 in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, the Pennsylvania Lottery confirmed.

200X the Cash is a $20 game offering top prizes of $1 million. The GIANT location that sold the ticket will receive a $5,000 retailer bonus, standard practice for Pennsylvania Lottery retailers that sell a top-tier winning ticket.

Pennsylvania is the only state lottery that directs all of its proceeds toward programs for older residents, including transportation assistance, prescription help, and senior center funding — support that has topped $37 billion since ticket sales began in 1972.

Alexander Demooy, 38, of Naples, won $1 million playing the Florida Lottery's 500X The Cash scratch-off game, with the ticket purchased at a Publix in Marco Island.

Demooy received his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $640,000. Publix received a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket, standard practice for Florida Lottery retailers on big wins.

The $50 game features a top prize of $25 million — the largest top prize Florida has offered on a scratch-off game — with one of two top prizes still remaining at the time of the win. Overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 4.23.

A Soperton resident is $1 million richer after winning the top prize on the Millionaire Maker scratch-off game, the Georgia Lottery announced.

The win was claimed in early April 2026, with the ticket purchased locally in Treutlen County, a small county in southeast Georgia with a population under 6,500.

Georgia Lottery proceeds fund education initiatives statewide, including the HOPE Scholarship and Pre-K programs.

David Miller of Cortland claimed a $10 million top prize on the New York Lottery's $10,000,000 Deluxe scratch-off game, with the winning ticket purchased at Grand Union of Cortland on St. Route 281.

Miller received a single lump-sum payment of $6,510,010 after required withholdings. With this win, all top prizes on the $10,000,000 Deluxe game have now been claimed, though valid lower-tier prizes remain redeemable through November 7, 2026.

New York Lottery scratch-off games generated more than $4.3 billion in sales during the 2024–2025 fiscal year, with Cortland County schools receiving over $11.5 million in Lottery Aid to Education funding during the same period.

Ryan Rahma, 24, of Miami claimed a $2 million top prize playing the Florida Lottery's $2,000,000 Bonus Cashword scratch-off game, with the ticket purchased at Biscayne Gas on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami.

Rahma chose a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,645,000, collected at the Florida Lottery's Miami district office. Biscayne Gas received a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.

The $10 game launched in May 2022 with eight total top prizes of $2 million and 20 second-tier prizes of $100,000. The game's overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.12.

Brooklyn resident Adam El-Asha claimed a $5 million top prize from the New York Lottery's $300,000,000 Cash Payout scratch-off game, purchased at Tang's Amber Mini Mart in Brooklyn.

El-Asha chose a lump-sum payment of $3,061,207 after required withholdings rather than installment payments. According to the New York Lottery, one additional $5 million top prize remains available on the game.

New York Lottery scratch-off games generated more than $4.3 billion in total sales during the 2024–2025 fiscal year, with proceeds supporting Lottery Aid to Education funding across the state's school districts.

A $15 million top prize on the California Lottery's 40 Years of Play! Scratchers game was claimed by Nardin Daniloadeh, with the winning ticket purchased at Mike's Liquor on Snell Avenue in San Jose, the California State Lottery announced.

The $40 ticket was part of a limited-run game released to mark the California State Lottery's 40th anniversary. Mike's Liquor is set to receive a retailer bonus of 0.5% of the prize, or $75,000, for selling the winning ticket.

The same week produced a second big California win: a $2 million scratch-off prize claimed in Modesto on a ticket purchased at Sharp Liquor on Crows Landing Road.

A Georgia resident has come forward to claim the $983 million Mega Millions jackpot, the Georgia Lottery announced in early January 2026 — the largest prize in the state's history.

The winning ticket was purchased at a Publix grocery store in Newnan and matched all five white balls plus the Mega Ball in the November 14, 2025 drawing, which had grown after 39 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner.

The win came during an extraordinary holiday season for U.S. lottery players: weeks later, a $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot was won on a ticket sold in Cabot, Arkansas, on Christmas Eve.

Christian Simmons of Lake George won a $1 million top prize playing the New York Lottery's More Money scratch-off game, with the winning ticket purchased at the Walmart Supercenter on Route 9 in Queensbury.

Simmons chose a one-time lump-sum payment of $441,999 after required withholdings. The New York Lottery confirmed all top prizes for the More Money game have now been claimed, though lower-tier prizes remain valid through December 31, 2026.

Warren County school districts received more than $10.5 million in Lottery Aid to Education funding during the 2024–2025 fiscal year, part of the New York Lottery's $3.6 billion in statewide education contributions that year.

Three Georgia Lottery players started 2026 as brand-new millionaires after winning $1 million each in the Georgia Millionaire second-chance drawing, held as the clock struck midnight on New Year's Day.

The winners are residents of College Park, Grovetown, and Lawrenceville. Second-chance drawings let players enter non-winning tickets from qualifying games for a shot at additional prizes — meaning these three winners turned tickets that hadn't won anything into seven-figure payouts.

Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin called the wins an "exciting start to the new year" in the official announcement.

All proceeds from Georgia Lottery games go toward education initiatives including the HOPE Scholarship and the state's pre-kindergarten program.

A single ticket sold at a Murphy USA gas station inside a Walmart parking lot in Cabot, Arkansas matched all six numbers in the December 24, 2025 Powerball drawing, winning a jackpot that grew to $1.817 billion by the time of the draw — the second-largest prize in Powerball history.

As of early January 2026, the winner had not yet come forward, though Arkansas law gives winners up to 180 days to claim a prize.

Murphy USA, a fuel retailer chain known for locations next to Walmart stores across the South and Midwest, has now sold one of the largest winning lottery tickets ever recorded.

A Fort Worth resident claimed a $20 million top prize on the Texas Lottery's $20 Million Supreme scratch ticket, purchased at Cleburne Food Mart on Cleburne Road, according to the Texas Lottery.

This was the third of four total $20 million top prizes available in the game, which offers more than $829 million in total prizes overall. The game's odds of winning a prize of $150 or more are listed at 1 in 3.49.

$20 Million Supreme is one of the highest-denomination scratch games the Texas Lottery has offered, with $100 tickets and a small number of ultra-high-value top prizes distributed across the state.

A Terrell resident claimed a $1 million top prize on the Texas Lottery's 500X scratch ticket game, with the winning ticket purchased at Stop Food Mart on Meadowbrook Drive in Fort Worth.

The claimant chose to remain anonymous. This was the second of four total $1 million top prizes available in the 500X game, which offers more than $122.9 million in total prizes and overall odds of winning any prize at 1 in 3.45, including break-even prizes.

Texas scratch tickets list total prizes and prizes claimed by tier directly on the Texas Lottery's official game pages, letting players check how many top prizes remain before buying.