We Have A Winner! Powerball Ticket Worth $478 Million Sold In Georgia

Some lucky lottery player in Georgia is holding a $478 million winning Powerball ticket.

After 27 consecutive draws, dating back more than two months, without a jackpot winner, the dry streak ended Wednesday night. The winning ticket, which was sold in Buford County, can either be cashed in for the full jackpot prize to be paid out over the next 29 years, or the winner can claim the lump-sum payment of $230.5 million. (Both of those numbers are pre-tax.)

The winning numbers — 2, 15, 27, 29, and 39, with a red Powerball of 20 — also resulted in a pair of million-dollar tickets that hit all five white balls but not the red Powerball. Those tickets were sold in Pennsylvania and Texas.

Lottery Geeks estimates some 15.3 million tickets were sold for the drawing.

The Powerball jackpot has now been won eight times this year. For comparison, in 2023, only five Powerball jackpots were claimed all year. The last one prior to Wednesday night came on Aug. 19, for the lowest winning Powerball grand prize amount claimed in 2024, $44.3 million. The largest Powerball jackpot of the year was $1.326 billion, won by a group of players including cancer patient Cheng “Charlie” Saephan on April 6.

The next Powerball drawing is Saturday, with the top prize resetting to $20 million (with a $9.6 million cash option).

Mega Millions now the big prize

Meanwhile, for the 12th drawing in a row, there was no Mega Millions winner Tuesday night, pushing Friday’s jackpot to an estimated $229 million, with a cash option of $107.4 million.

The winning numbers on Tuesday — 8, 43, 48, 58, and 60, with a gold Mega Ball of 4 — did make two people millionaires. A ticket in Texas matched all five white balls for a $1 million dollar payday, and a Florida ticket-buyer splurged for the Megaplier, which came in at 3x, to earn them a $3 million prize.

Lottery Geeks estimates about 12.4 million tickets were sold for Tuesday’s drawing.

Tickets for either lottery cost $2, with most states offering a prize multiplier option for an additional $1.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while in Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
3. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
4. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
5. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
6. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
7. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
9. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey
10. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California

And here’s the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
5. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
6. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
7. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
8. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $621 million, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
10. $558.1 million, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California