Publix sells a Mega Millions ticket worth $980 million — here’s how to know if it came from your store

There was a lot of frenzy over Mega Millions recently as the jackpot neared $1 billion. The huge prize was finally won just before Thanksgiving 2025 after many drawings yielded no winner. 

The winning ticket, valued at $980 million, was purchased from a Publix grocery store in Georgia. At the end of final ticket sales, it reached a jackpot of $983 million. 

That winning ticket matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 drawing, which made it the eighth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. Since there was only one winning ticket, people everywhere started wondering which Publix store sold it. 

Holiday jackpot excitement and what happened after the win

Mega Millions went back to a starting jackpot of $50 million on Nov. 18. The next drawing rolled over, meaning the jackpot began to grow again. But even with the reset, most of the attention stayed on the Publix winner because holiday jackpots always create extra excitement. 

Big wins around the holidays are not new: In December 2024, someone in California won a $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot. That winner, Rosemary Casarotti, came forward months later on St. Patrick’s Day 2025. Because of that, many people now wonder if the Georgia winner will come forward or choose to stay private. 

If the Nov. 14 jackpot had rolled over, it would have been the second billion-dollar jackpot of 2025 and the 14th billion-dollar jackpot ever in Powerball or Mega Millions history. Now that a winner has been found, all focus is on this $980 million Publix ticket.

How to know if the winning ticket was sold at your Publix

If you live in Georgia and shop at Publix, you might be curious to know whether your store sold the winning ticket. The Georgia Lottery normally shares the name and address of the store where the jackpot ticket was purchased. They do not reveal the winner’s identity unless state rules require it.

To find out if your Publix was the lucky location, you can:

• Visit the Georgia Lottery website for official updates
• Check the local news for the store announcement
• Look for signs inside your Publix, since stores often display posters when they sell a big winning ticket

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More details about the winner

People still have many questions, such as:

• How much is the cash option?
• How long does the winner have to claim the money?
• Can the winner stay anonymous in Georgia?

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These answers will be shared once lottery officials release more information. For now, we only know one thing: a Publix customer in Georgia just became extremely rich with one lucky ticket.