Powerball, Mega Millions players in Florida got a triple whammy in big jackpots
Triple boon or a triple whammy? Powerball, Mega Millions players in Florida may not have won almost $1 billion or more, but 7 won $1 million in a month.
Powerball and Mega Millions players in Florida just went through a triple whammy in billion-dollar lottery streaks for 2025 — but it wasn’t all bad news.
No one in the Sunshine State won the grand prize in these newsworthy lottery drawings:
However, Florida Powerball players have seen a stroke of luck when it comes to “second-tier” wins — meaning Powerball players matched five out of six numbers to win $1 million (see below).
Here’s a recap.
Powerball players in Texas, Missouri won $1.787 billion jackpot on Sept. 6, 2025
The $1.787 billion Powerball lottery numbers for Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, were 11-23-44-61-62 and the Powerball was 17. The Sept. 6, 2025, Powerball lottery streak lasted through the summer, marking the 13th time in history a lottery jackpot reached and surpassed $1 billion.
A QuikTrip gas station and convenience store in St. Louis, Missouri, and a Big’s 103 gas station and convenience store in Fredericksburg, Texas, sold the winning Powerball tickets. Since there were two winners, the $1.787 billion prize was split at $893.5 million or a one-time lump sum of $410.3 million, both amounts before taxes.
Two weeks after the draw, the Missouri Lottery announced that state’s winner came forward to claim their $893.5 million with the cash prize of $410.3 million. The organization said the Missouri Powerball player, who set a record and claimed the largest prize ever won by a Missouri Lottery player, “plans to take time off and enjoy the experience.”
The Texas Lottery announced the state’s $1.787 billion Powerball winner chose the cash value − players there must select the lump sum or annuity at the time of ticket purchase − and also received $410.3 million, specifically $410,324,470.28, before taxes.
On Powerball’s website, the two winners in the Sept. 6, 2025, Powerball drawing for $1.787 billion − an anonymous player in St. Louis, Missouri, and Seven Bridges Revocable Trust in Fredericksburg, Texas − show the cash prize option split for $820.6 million.
Mega Millions player in Georgia won $983 million on Nov. 14, 2025
After the $1 billion Powerball lottery frenzy that lasted from the summer until September, Mega Millions drawings rolled over and increased in prize — to the tune of a cool $980 million.
Finally, one lucky ticket scored the perfect number combination just before the Thanksgiving holiday. A Publix grocery store in Newnan, Georgia, sold the winning ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Mega Millions drawing. Final sales pushed the total to $983 million, according to the Georgia Lottery.
If there had been one more rollover, it would have been the 14th time in history a Powerball or Mega Millions lottery jackpot reached or surpassed $1 billion.
As of Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, more than a month after the $983 million Mega Millions lottery drawing, it remains unknown who won the grand prize. The vetting process typically takes a few weeks, according to organizations like the California Lottery, and a check online shows the Georgia Lottery winner has not come forward.
The sole jackpot winner could claim $980 million over 30 annual payments or take a one-time lump sum, valued at nearly $452.2 million, before federal taxes.
Mega Millions jackpot winners have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes, per Georgia Lottery rules. In this case, the $980 million Mega Millions winner from Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, drawing has until Wednesday, May 13, 2026, to claim their prize in person at Georgia Lottery headquarters.
Powerball player in Arkansas won $1.817 billion on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025
The lottery frenzy of the 2025 holiday season was a memorable one. One ticket in Arkansas perfectly matched to win the Powerball jackpot of $1.817 billion on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025.
A lottery retailer from the Natural State sold the winning ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Powerball in the 2025 Christmas Eve Powerball drawing. Final sales pushed the total from $1.7 billion to a whopping $1.817 billion.
Powerball and Arkansas Scholarship Lottery officials said the winning ticket came from a Murphy USA gas station in a Walmart Supercenter plaza on South Rockwood Street in Cabot, Arkansas.
As of Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, it is not known who won the $1.817 billion Powerball grand prize.
The sole jackpot winner could claim $1.817 billion over annual payments or take a one-time lump sum, valued at $834.9 million. “Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year,” Powerball.com states.
Powerball jackpot winners have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes, per Arkansas Scholarship Lottery rules. In this case, the $1.817 billion Powerball winner from Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, or Christmas Eve drawing has until Monday, June 22, 2026, to claim their prize in person at Arkansas Scholarship Lottery headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Florida had a triple whammy of no grand prize winners in recent Powerball, Mega Millions lottery blitzes
Florida has made the list of winners in the Powerball and Mega Millions billion-dollar jackpots, but not during this recent back-to-back-to-back trifecta of big lottery jackpots. However, there have been significant Florida Powerball wins — seven drawings in less than a month:
- The Monday, Dec. 22, winning Powerball numbers were 3-18-36-41-54 and the Powerball was 7. Power Play was 2x. Florida led a nine-ticket pack of big winners in the Powerball drawing who matched 5 for $1 million prizes. Key Food, 8251 Sunset Strip, Sunrise, Florida, sold the winning quick pick ticket worth $1 million, according to the Florida Lottery. The other tickets were purchased in Georgia, Illinois, two in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
- The Saturday, Dec. 20, winning Powerball numbers were 4-5-28-52-69 and the Powerball was 20. Power Play was 3x. A ticket from Publix, 9755 NW 41st St., Miami, Florida, joined seven other tickets to match 5 for $1 million prizes. Those other winning tickets were sold in California, Iowa, Maine, two in Michigan, New Hampshire and Ohio.
- The Saturday, Dec. 13, winning Powerball numbers were 1-28-31-57-58 and the Powerball was 16. Power Play was 2x. Though the jackpot wasn’t hit that Saturday, several other tickets got lucky. The one from Florida was one of five (California, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia) to match 5 for $1 million prizes. Two lucky tickets, one from North Carolina and the other from Pennsylvania, matched 5 plus the Power Play for $2 million prizes.
- The Monday, Dec. 8, Powerball numbers were 8-32-52-56-64 and the Powerball was 23. Power Play was 2x. Though those numbers produced another rollover, it was good news for a local Powerball player: The only secondary prize from Monday’s Powerball drawing came from Florida. That ticket won a $1 million prize, purchased from 7-Eleven, 3991 S. Kanner Highway, Stuart, Florida, part of the Treasure Coast.
- The Saturday, Dec. 6, winning Powerball numbers were 13-14-26-28-44 and the Powerball was 7. Power Play was 2x. A ticket purchased in Florida and two from Georgia and Texas matched 5 for $1 million prizes. Even more fortunate was the owner of a ticket purchased in New Jersey, which matched 5 plus the Power Play for a $2 million prize. The Florida Powerball winner bought their winning ticket from Circle K, 2809 Atlantic Ave., Fernandina Beach, Florida.
- For the Powerball lottery drawing on Wednesday, Dec. 3 — with winning numbers 1-14-20-46-51 and the Powerball 26, with Power Play 3x — there were three big winners in that Powerball drawing. A Florida and a California ticket each matched 5 for $1 million prizes. Even luckier, a Kentucky-bought ticket matched 5 plus the Power Play for a $2 million prize. The local $1 million Powerball quick pick ticket was purchased at Town Star, 1305 W. Orange Blossom Trail, Apopka, Florida.
- And finally, a ticket from the Saturday, Nov. 29, Powerball drawing over the 2025 Thanksgiving holiday weekend matched five numbers to win $1 million. The winning numbers from that quick pick ticket were 19-22-30-32-59 and the Powerball was 1. Power Play was 2x. The quick pick ticket was purchased from Thorntons, 425 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, Florida.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
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