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A Georgia resident has been recognized because the winner of the $983 million Mega Thousands and thousands jackpot — the eighth-largest within the recreation’s historical past and the largest lottery prize ever gained within the state, officers mentioned Tuesday.
The ticket holder, who remained nameless, stepped ahead on Jan. 2 to gather the prize following the drawing on Nov. 14, the lottery mentioned.
The winner chosen the money choice of $453.6 million earlier than taxes.
The lottery mentioned the Georgia resident has members of the family who’ve benefited from the Georgia Lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship.
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The $983 million Mega Thousands and thousands jackpot was claimed by a Georgia resident following the Nov. 14 drawing. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP through Getty Pictures / Getty Pictures)
“We’re thrilled to have fun Georgia’s record-breaking jackpot winner and their life-changing begin to the brand new yr,” Georgia Lottery Corp. President and CEO Gretchen Corbin mentioned in a press release. “This historic jackpot was additionally important for Georgia’s college students, households and communities who profit from HOPE and Pre-Ok. We congratulate our winner and respect the assist of our gamers and retail companions throughout this thrilling jackpot run.”
The ticket holder is an everyday lottery participant who enjoys supporting HOPE and Pre-Ok within the state, the lottery mentioned. They seen the rising jackpot on a billboard, which prompted them to buy a ticket.
After studying there was a winner, the person checked the Georgia Lottery web site for the profitable numbers and confirmed the end result.
The lottery mentioned the winner hopes to make the prize “generational” along with giving again to “good causes.”
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A Georgia resident was recognized because the winner of the $983 million Mega Thousands and thousands jackpot, the most important lottery prize ever gained within the state. (Reuters/Mike Segar / Reuters Photographs)
The profitable Fast Choose ticket was offered in Newnan, Georgia, at a Publix grocery store. Georgia Lottery retailers that promote a profitable Mega Thousands and thousands jackpot ticket obtain a $50,000 retailer incentive bonus fee, in keeping with the lottery.
The final time somebody took dwelling such a big prize was in December 2024, when a California participant gained a $1.269 billion jackpot.
“It’s by far the most important prize ever gained in the month of November, and the eighth-largest jackpot within the historical past of the sport,” the lottery mentioned following the November drawing, including that, “within the 40 drawings because the jackpot was final gained at $348 million in Virginia on June 27 — probably the most drawings in a single jackpot run within the recreation’s historical past — there have been nearly 14.3 million profitable tickets in any respect prize ranges.”
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The Nov. 14 Mega Thousands and thousands drawing resulted in a $983 million jackpot win in Georgia. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Company through Getty Pictures)
The jackpot had been swelling because the finish of June when a single ticket offered in Georgia matched all six numbers within the Nov. 14 drawing.
Mega Thousands and thousands modified its format final April, elevating ticket costs from $2 to $5 per play.
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The value change is anticipated to speed up jackpot development and lift the beginning jackpot from $20 million to $50 million.
The report jackpot belongs to a $1.602 billion Florida prize from August 2023.
FOX Enterprise’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

