SC Lottery Posts Second-Largest Education Haul; Powerball Jackpot Hits $707M

South Carolina closed out Fiscal Year 2026 with its second-largest education payout on record, just as a Florida ticket-holder became the country’s newest lottery multimillionaire — and with the year’s biggest Powerball jackpot scheduled to draw tonight at 10:59 PM ET, SC players now have their own shot at a life-changing prize.

SC Lottery’s Near-Record $606.8 Million Goes to Students

The South Carolina Education Lottery transferred $606.8 million to education for Fiscal Year 2026, bringing its cumulative haul for schools to $9.5 billion since its first ticket went on sale in January 2002. The figure lands just $800,000 short of the all-time record $607.6 million transferred in FY2021, making this the lottery’s second-best year in a quarter-century of operation.

“It’s remarkable to think that lottery play in South Carolina raises more than $1.5 million a day for education,” CEO Dolly Garfield said in the announcement. “This year’s outstanding results are a perfect lead-in to our 25th anniversary in January.”

The SCEL generated $2.4 billion in total ticket sales for the fiscal year, during which players won more than $1.6 billion in prize money and lottery retailers earned over $175 million in commissions. Several factors drove the strong year: the introduction of debit card ticket sales, the rising popularity of $20 scratch-offs, upgraded ticket displays at retailers, and two Powerball jackpots that exceeded $1 billion during the fiscal year.

Commission Chairman Sam Litchfield credited the broader economic impact: “On behalf of the Board, we are so pleased with the Lottery’s continued success. These funds will ensure that South Carolina is the absolute best state to call home and receive a great education.”

Lottery proceeds are deposited into the Education Lottery Account, from which the General Assembly makes appropriations. Since 2002, more than $8.2 billion has been appropriated to support higher education programs, including $6.8 billion directed to scholarships and grants such as the LIFE, Palmetto Fellows, HOPE, and Needs-Based programs. In FY2026 alone, more than $500 million was appropriated for higher education opportunities including scholarships, need-based grants, tuition assistance, and the National Guard Loan Repayment Program. An additional $20 million in lottery proceeds went to K-12 education programs. More than 2.8 million scholarships have been awarded to South Carolina students over the lottery’s history.

It is worth noting that critics of lottery-funded education models, including policy researchers in other states, have pointed out that merit-based scholarship programs tend to benefit students who would have attended college regardless — raising questions about whether the revenue’s educational benefits are distributed in proportion to who is buying the tickets. South Carolina’s lottery is no exception to that broader debate.

July 29 Drawing Results: What SC Players Need to Know

For players still checking Wednesday’s tickets:

Powerball (July 29, 2026): 30 – 36 – 40 – 42 – 57 | Powerball: 02 | Power Play: 2x | No jackpot winner. A ticket sold in Maryland matched five white balls and claimed the $1 million second-tier prize. The jackpot rolled forward to $707 million.

Palmetto Cash 5 (July 29, 2026): 03 – 05 – 07 – 17 – 37 | Prize: $160,000

Players can verify all remaining draw results — including Pick 3, Pick 4, and Cash Pop — at the South Carolina Education Lottery’s official website.

Powerball Jackpot Draws Tonight: $707 Million on the Line

With no Powerball winner drawn in the July 29 drawing, the jackpot has grown to an estimated $707 million — the largest Powerball prize of 2026 — for tonight’s drawing, scheduled at 10:59 PM ET. The one-time cash option stands at $309.7 million before taxes.

Tonight’s drawing will be the 39th since the last jackpot was won, on May 2, when two tickets — one in Florida, one in Texas — split a $20 million prize. The odds of matching all five numbers plus the Powerball remain 1 in 292,201,338.

What would a South Carolina winner actually take home?

If someone in SC claims the $707 million jackpot, the choices and tax math work like this. Selecting the lump-sum cash option delivers $309.7 million before taxes. A mandatory 24% federal withholding takes an immediate $74.3 million off the top, leaving approximately $235.4 million. Depending on total taxable income for the year, the winner may face a federal marginal rate as high as 37%, which could reduce the net figure to approximately $192.3 million. South Carolina taxes lottery winnings as ordinary income at the state level, which would reduce the take further depending on the winner’s tax situation. Consulting a tax professional before claiming is strongly advised.

SC winners can stay anonymous — permanently.

One of South Carolina’s most distinctive lottery policies is its blanket anonymity protection for winners. A South Carolina jackpot winner may choose never to disclose their identity publicly. If they opt for anonymity, the only details the lottery releases under 2024 Act 106 are where the winning ticket was purchased and the value of the jackpot. This protection is one reason South Carolina has long been regarded as one of the best states in which to hold a winning ticket. As the state prepares for its 25th anniversary in January 2027, that tradition of protecting winners is part of its identity.

Can Lottery Winners Stay Anonymous in South Carolina?

State anonymity policies for lottery winners vary widely. South Carolina allows full, permanent anonymity for all winners regardless of prize amount — winners need only opt in. Other states that offer meaningful anonymity protections include Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas, and Wyoming, though each imposes different conditions and thresholds.

Florida’s rules are more limited. Under current Florida law, winners of large prizes face a 90-day anonymity window after claiming their prize. Once that period expires, the winner’s name and city of residence may be released to any third party that requests the information from the Florida Lottery.

Florida Wakes Up to an $803 Million Win

The July 28 Mega Millions drawing produced a single jackpot-winning ticket in Florida, ultimately confirmed at $803 million — the final amount, which exceeded the pre-draw estimate of $800 million based on actual ticket sales.

The winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased at the Wawa located at 14510 State Road 70 East in Bradenton, a Lakewood Ranch-area community north of Sarasota on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The winning numbers were 34, 48, 49, 59, and 70, with a gold Mega Ball of 12.

The $803 million prize is the 10th largest in Mega Millions history](https://www.megamillions.com/News/2026/Third-Mega-Millions-Jackpot-of-2026-Goes-to-Florid.aspx) and the biggest lottery win since last November. This is the third Mega Millions jackpot won in 2026, following a [$536 million prize claimed in Illinois on March 10 and a second jackpot won in Ohio on March 17.

“We are thrilled to congratulate Florida’s newest Mega Millions jackpot winner on this incredible, life-changing moment,” Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald Dixon said in an official statement.

The Lakewood Ranch Wawa celebrated by offering free coffee and fountain drinks in any size on Thursday, July 30.

Tax math for the Florida winner

The headline number is $803 million, but the actual payout depends on the option the winner chooses. The one-time cash option stands at $345.5 million before taxes. After a mandatory 24% federal withholding, that drops to approximately $262.6 million. The winner’s ultimate marginal federal rate could be as high as 37%, which would reduce the net figure to roughly $218 million. Florida imposes no state income tax, giving the winner an advantage over residents of most other states — no additional state withholding applies.

The winner has 180 days from the July 28 drawing date to claim the prize, and may choose the lump sum or the $803 million annuity paid across 30 annual installments. Anyone choosing the cash option must claim it within 60 days.

The anonymity window in Florida

Whether the Florida winner will ever be publicly identified is an open question. Under Florida law, winners of prizes of $250,000 or more receive a 90-day privacy window after claiming the prize. Once that period expires, the Florida Lottery may release the winner’s name and city of residence to any requesting third party — making the winner’s eventual identity technically a matter of public record unless they take additional legal steps, such as claiming through a trust. The winner has not come forward as of the date of this article’s publication.

SC’s Own Mega Millions Legacy

Florida’s latest jackpot resonates in South Carolina. The Palmetto State holds the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot in the game’s history: the $1.537 billion prize won on October 23, 2018. That winner chose full anonymity — a choice made possible by SC’s privacy laws — and was never publicly identified. The Florida July 2026 win ranks only behind Florida’s own record jackpot: the all-time Mega Millions high of $1.602 billion, won on August 8, 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much has the South Carolina Education Lottery contributed to education over its lifetime?

Since its first ticket sale on January 7, 2002, through the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the South Carolina Education Lottery has transferred a total of $9.5 billion for education. More than $8.2 billion of that has been appropriated to support higher education programs, including $6.8 billion in scholarships and grants. In FY2026 alone, over $500 million was appropriated for higher education and an additional $20 million for K-12 programs.

What is the cash value of tonight’s $707 million Powerball jackpot, and how much would a winner actually keep?

The one-time cash option for tonight’s Powerball jackpot is $309.7 million before taxes. A mandatory 24% federal withholding reduces that to approximately $235.4 million. The federal marginal tax rate for high-income earners can reach 37%, which could bring the after-tax lump sum to around $192 million or less before any applicable state taxes. In South Carolina, lottery winnings are taxed as ordinary income at the state level. Consulting a tax or financial advisor before claiming a large prize is strongly recommended.

Can lottery winners remain anonymous in South Carolina and Florida?

South Carolina law allows winners to remain permanently and completely anonymous — the only information the lottery releases is where the ticket was purchased and the prize amount. Florida’s rules are different: winners of $250,000 or more receive a 90-day privacy window after claiming the prize, after which their name and city of residence may become public record. Players in states without strong anonymity protections often explore legal options such as claiming prizes through a blind trust.

How does the SC lottery’s education funding actually reach students?

Lottery proceeds in South Carolina are deposited into the Education Lottery Account, from which the General Assembly makes annual appropriations. The lottery itself does not decide which programs receive funding — that is the legislature’s responsibility. In FY2026, appropriations supported scholarship programs including LIFE, Palmetto Fellows, HOPE, and Needs-Based Grants; tuition assistance at two-year colleges; the National Guard Loan Repayment Program; K-12 initiatives including school buses and classroom technology; and community education programs throughout the state.

Must be 18 or older to purchase SC Education Lottery tickets. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the SC Gambling Helpline: 1-877-452-5155. Lottery ticket purchases do not guarantee scholarship funding for any individual buyer. Play responsibly.