Winner Stories

Lottery Winner News

Real stories from recent lottery wins across America β€” where the ticket was sold, how much was won, and what happened next.

Stories are independently written based on information from official state lottery press releases. Sources are linked on every story.

June 20, 2026Β·Cedartown, GA

Cedartown Player Cashes In $5 Million Scratch-Off

A Polk County resident's Max the Money ticket became one of Georgia's biggest scratch wins of the year.

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.

June 18, 2026Β·Decatur, GA

Decatur Convenience Store Sells $1 Million Xtreme Cash Ticket

A Lawrenceville Highway store produced another Georgia lottery millionaire the same week as a $5 million Cedartown win.

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.

May 3, 2026Β·Leander, TX

QuikTrip in Leander Sells $20 Million Powerball Jackpot Ticket

A Quick Pick ticket gave Texas its fourth Powerball Grand Prize winner in state history.

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.

April 20, 2026Β·Warner Robins, GA

Warner Robins Gas Station Sells $2.5 Million Scratch Ticket

A Millionaire Jumbo Bucks ticket from a Russell Parkway gas station became one of the year's biggest Georgia scratch wins.

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.

April 14, 2026Β·Naples, FL

Naples Man Wins $1 Million at Publix Playing 500X The Cash

Alexander Demooy's win came on a $50 ticket from Florida's largest-ever scratch-off top prize game.

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 β€” the largest top prize Florida has offered on a scratch-off game β€” 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.

April 8, 2026Β·Soperton, GA

Soperton Resident Wins $1 Million on Georgia Scratcher

A Treutlen County player claimed a seven-figure prize from a Georgia Lottery scratch-off ticket.

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.

March 15, 2026Β·Cortland, NY

Cortland Resident Claims Final $10 Million Top Prize on Deluxe Scratcher

David Miller's win closes out all top prizes on the New York Lottery's $10,000,000 Deluxe game.

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.

February 18, 2026Β·Miami, FL

Miami Man Claims $2 Million Bonus Cashword Prize

Ryan Rahma's win was one of eight $2 million top prizes available on the game.

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.

February 10, 2026Β·Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn Resident Wins $5 Million on Cash Payout Scratch-Off

Adam El-Asha's winning ticket leaves one more $5 million top prize remaining on the game.

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.

January 6, 2026Β·Newnan, GA

Newnan Publix Sells Winning $983 Million Mega Millions Ticket

After 39 drawings without a jackpot winner, a single Georgia ticket matched all six numbers for one of the largest prizes in state history.

A Georgia resident has come forward to claim the $983 million Mega Millions jackpot, the Georgia Lottery announced in early January 2026 β€” 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.

January 2, 2026Β·Lake George, NY

Lake George Man Wins $1 Million to Start the New Year

Christian Simmons's win exhausted the final top prize on the More Money scratch-off game.

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 Players Ring in 2026 as Instant Millionaires

A New Year's Eve second-chance drawing turned three lottery players into millionaires at the stroke of midnight.

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 β€” 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.

December 24, 2025Β·Cabot, AR

Murphy USA in Cabot, Arkansas Sells $1.817 Billion Powerball Ticket

A Christmas Eve drawing produced the second-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.

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 β€” 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.

February 14, 2023Β·Fort Worth, TX

Cleburne Food Mart Sells $20 Million Scratch-Off to Fort Worth Resident

A Fort Worth player claimed the third of four top prizes on the $20 Million Supreme scratch game.

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.

October 20, 2022Β·Fort Worth, TX

Stop Food Mart in Fort Worth Sells $1 Million 500X Scratch Ticket

A Terrell resident claimed the second of four top prizes available on the Texas Lottery's 500X game.

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.

About Lottery Winner Stories

Every week, state lotteries across the U.S. announce new winners β€” from small scratch-off prizes to nine-figure jackpots. LotteryMap tracks these stories and connects them to the actual stores, cities, and states where winning tickets were sold, so you can see exactly where the luck has been happening.

Stories are sourced from official state lottery press releases and written in our own words. Have a tip or see a story we're missing? We're always adding new wins as they're announced.