Georgia Ticket Wins $980 Million Mega Millions Jackpot, Eighth Largest in Game History
A Mega Millions ticket purchased in Georgia secured the estimated $980 million jackpot, marking one of the largest lottery wins in the game’s history. The lottery announced that the prize ranks as the eighth biggest Mega Millions jackpot ever awarded.
A Georgia ticket matched all numbers to win the $980 million Mega Millions jackpot, the game’s eighth largest and the biggest since its April format change.
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The previous comparable win occurred in December 2024, when a player in California claimed a $1.269 billion jackpot. That prize set a high benchmark and remained one of the most notable payouts in recent years.
A statement from the lottery confirmed that the Georgia ticket matched all six numbers drawn on November 14. The winning combination consisted of white balls 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57, along with the gold Mega Ball 7. The winner can claim the prize as an estimated $980 million annuity or a $452.2 million cash option.
The November win also set a new milestone as the largest prize ever awarded during the month. The lottery highlighted that the run leading up to the jackpot included 40 consecutive drawings dating back to June 27, when a $348 million jackpot was won in Virginia. That stretch produced nearly 14.3 million winning tickets across various prize categories.
Total non-jackpot winnings reached almost $343.4 million throughout the drawing sequence. These payouts included 21 second-tier prizes worth $2 million or more, claimed in multiple states such as Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
Mega Millions updated its format in April, increasing the ticket price from $2 to $5 per play. The adjustment allows jackpots to grow at a faster pace and raises the starting prize from $20 million to $50 million.
The Florida jackpot from August 2023 retains its record as the largest in Mega Millions history at $1.602 billion. Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, noted in a statement that the $980 million win is the biggest awarded since the format change earlier this year.
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