Powerball, Mega Millions tickets from a Florida Publix won $1 million. When's deadline to claim?
Looks like a trip to a liquor store ahead of Halloween really paid off for a Publix shopper: A Mega Millions ticket purchased there is worth $1 million.
Though no one won the big jackpot of $250 million in the Tuesday, Oct. 29, Mega Millions lottery drawing, it wasn't all bad news − a mystery shopper who bought a Quick Pick ticket from a Publix Liquor Store in Kissimmee (next to the Publix grocery store), matched five numbers to win $1 million. The said Publix and Publix Liquor store are less than 10 miles away from Orlando International Airport and less than 18 miles away from Walt Disney World Resort.
But this trip to the store isn't the only lucky stop this month: The Florida Lottery announced a pair of second-tier winners in the Monday, Oct. 21, Powerball and Tuesday, Oct. 22, Mega Millions lottery drawings. A "second-tier" win means a player correctly matched five numbers in the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery, and the overall jackpot rolls over.
Below is information on Mega Millions and Powerball, how long to claim the $1 million via annual payments or one-time lump sum option, and other recent second-tier Florida Lottery wins.
What were winning Mega Millions numbers for Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024? Did anyone win Tuesday lottery drawing?
Mega Millions lottery drawings are at 11 p.m. EDT Tuesdays and Fridays. The Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, Mega Millions numbers were 16-22-26-36-56 and the Mega Ball was 1. Megaplier was 4x. One ticket purchased from a Publix Liquor store in Kissimmee match five numbers to win $1 million. The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, Nov. 1, now climbs to $281 million, with a cash option of $129.8 million.
Which Publix in Florida sold winning Mega Millions, Powerball lottery tickets?
Here's a list of “second-tier” Powerball and Mega Millions lottery wins that happened in Florida for October 2024:
One Florida ticket was a big winner in the Tuesday, Oct. 22, Mega Millions drawing. The ticket, purchased at Sunshine store, 14351 SW 96th St., Miami, was a Quick Pick that matched 5 plus the Megaplier for a $3 million prize. A Mega Millions ticket for that date purchased in Texas also matched 5 for a $1 million prize. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, winning Mega Millions numbers were 8-43-48-58-60 and the Mega Ball was 4.
Before a Georgia winner was announced for the Wednesday, Oct. 23, Powerball for $478 million, Publix, 14630 SW 26th St., Miami, sold a Quick Pick ticket worth $1 million in the Monday, Oct. 21, Powerball drawing. Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, winning Powerball numbers were 1-25-57-62-64 and the Powerball was 15.
In the Tuesday, Oct. 29, Mega Millions lottery drawing, a ticket purchased from Publix, 2623 Simpson Road, Kissimmee, matched five numbers to win $1 million. Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, Mega Millions numbers were 16-22-26-36-56 and the Mega Ball was 1.
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How long do you have to cash in a winning Florida Lottery ticket? What's the deadline to claim a winning ticket for Powerball and Mega Millions in Florida?
Claiming lottery prizes varies by state.
In Florida, prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it. This applies to Florida Lottery games and Mega Millions and Powerball tickets purchased here.
For the recent secondary winners from the Sunshine store in Miami, Publix store in Miami and Publix Liquors store in Kissimmee, respectively, it's 60 days from Oct. 21, Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 (the dates of the drawing) for the one-time, lump sum cash payment and 180 days from those dates for annual payments. To cash out, the lottery players have until late December. The second-tier winning tickets will expire in April 2025.
How long has Mega Millions rolled over? When is the next Mega Millions drawing?
The last Mega Millions lottery streak started Friday, Sept. 13, after a ticket in Texas won $800 million for matching all five numbers and the Mega Ball. It took a little over three months for the $20 million jackpot to roll over to $800 million. Below is a recap of lottery drawings for this latest streak and how the jackpot grew over time.
Friday, Nov. 1: $281 million
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Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous? Does Florida Lottery reveal the names of jackpot winners?
According to Florida Lottery's website, winners cannot remain anonymous: "Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner's name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information."
However, the site states, the "names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner."
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Publix Liquors near Orlando tied to Florida Mega Millions win
