Florida has seen billion-dollar lottery jackpot wins − and, interestingly, those winning tickets came from a neighborhood market.
The same grocery chain notched another significant lottery win − but in a different state.
Lottery frenzy peaked after Mega Millions zeroed in on $1 billion — and after five months of rollovers, a Publix grocery store in Georgia sold the winning ticket.
A single ticket from Publix matched five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday, Nov. 14, Mega Millions drawing for $980 million. It was the eighth-largest Mega Millions jackpot as of Nov. 17, 2025.
Had the Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Mega Millions drawing rolled over, it would have been the second billion-dollar lottery jackpot for 2025 and the 14th overall in the history of Powerball and Mega Millions.
A day after the record-setting Mega Millions drawing, the Georgia Lottery announced where the winning ticket was purchased and from what city. At this time, it is not known who won the $980 million Mega Millions. The vetting process typically takes a few weeks, according to organizations like the California Lottery. 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.
Publix, a Lakeland, Florida-based grocery store chain, employs more than 255,000 people with more than 1,420 stores in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Florida is home to more than 880 stores as of November 2025.
Publix shoppers may be familiar with the grocery chain’s weekly BOGO (buy-one-get-one) deals, $5 sushi Wednesdays (most Publix locations typically have an in-house sushi chef) and occasional hot bar option. Publix also has made its mark in pop culture with hurricane cakes (which is no longer an option), its tie to Mega Millions or Powerball billion-dollar jackpot wins, or the affable online love for the “Pub sub.”
The chain’s catchphrase is, “Publix: Where shopping is a pleasure.” The grocery store giant has filmed themed holiday commercials that generate viral commentary (and all the feels).
On Jan. 13, 2016, #MelbourneBeach was trending on social media, and on Aug. 8, 2023, so was #NeptuneBeach, both thanks to a local @Publix. In 2016, David Kaltschmidt and Maureen Smith of Melbourne Beach claimed their share of what was then the largest Powerball jackpot in the history of the game, $1.586 billion. Then, in 2023, a winner from Neptune Beach matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win the biggest jackpot in the history of Mega Millions, $1.58 billion.
One might note the interestingly coincidental fact that of the 13 times a lottery jackpot has hit $1 billion or more, two of the winning tickets were purchased at a beachtown Publix in Florida and the prize was at least $1.58 billion.
And then there’s the $980 million Mega Millions winner who bought their ticket from a Publix in Newnan, Georgia. While not quite $1 billion, the total remains in the Top 10 Mega Millions lottery jackpots in the history of the game.
The $980 million Mega Millions ticket was sold at Publix, 4000 N. Highway 29, Newnan, Georgia, for the Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Mega Millions lottery drawing. It was a quick pick ticket. Newnan is about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta.
The Georgia Lottery said the Publix in Newnan received a $50,000 commission.
Retail bonuses vary by state — for example, the two Publix stores in Florida received $100,000 each during the previous billion-dollar jackpots. In California, retailers get $1,000,000.
Powerball made history Jan. 11, 2016, the first time a lottery jackpot hit $1 billion. After no one matched all five numbers plus the Powerball in the (Saturday) Jan. 9, 2016, drawing for $949 million, the Monday jackpot soared to $1.4 billion. (No one won that drawing either.) Powerball made history again when three tickets matched all six numbers to win $1.586 billion in the (Wednesday) Jan. 13, 2016, drawing.
The jackpot started Nov. 4, 2015, at $40 million. It had rolled over almost 30 times from Nov. 4, 2015, to Jan. 13, 2016, before three tickets from California, Tennessee and Melbourne Beach, Florida, claimed the $1.586 billion grand prize. In 2016, FLORIDA TODAY reported Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt bought their winning Powerball ticket at a Publix in Melbourne Beach. The other winners from that $1.586 billion Powerball prize include Marvin and Mae Acosta of California and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee.
As of Nov. 17, 2025, the$1.586 billion Powerball prize is still in the Top 10 largest lottery jackpots of all-time.
Sandwiched between Indialantic and Sebastian, Melbourne Beach is a small town that’s part of Florida’s Space Coast. Publix, 3830 S. SR A1A, Melbourne Beach, is in the Driftwood Plaza.
After months of rollovers, on Aug. 8, 2023, someone was lucky enough to buy a $2 Mega Millions ticket worth $1.58 billion from a Publix in Neptune Beach, Florida. On Sept. 25, 2023, the winner — Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida — claimed the prize.
The billion-dollar Mega Millions winner was truly lucky: If the person had bought their ticket just about 250 feet away at the Publix next door in the Seminole Shoppes plaza, the day after the lottery drawing would’ve been $1.58 billion less exciting.
The Neptune Beach Publix that sold the winning $1.58 billion Mega Millions ticket was previously a Lucky’s Market (really). After closing its doors in 2020 and sitting empty until 2023, it was turned into a Publix store – only about 250 feet away from Neptune Beach’s original Publix store.
As of Nov. 17, 2025, more than two years since the “Neptune Beach Publix win,” the$1.586 billion Powerball prize remains on the list of Top 10 largest lottery jackpots of all-time and the biggest Mega Millions lottery jackpot in the history of the game.
The odds for winning a Powerball and Mega Millions lottery are quite low. However, over the years, several Publix locations in Florida produced million-dollar winners for Powerball, Mega Millions and Florida Lotto.
Many lottery retailers, convenience stores or locally owned markets, consider that good publicity — with some hanging signs or banners designating their role in the lottery wins.
But one organization that won’t brag about the billion-dollar lottery wins from the Publix stores? Publix.
Over the years, a significant amount of Florida Lottery money was won through tickets sold at Publix. However, the grocery store chain has a policy not to publicly comment on lottery wins. A notice on its corporate website states: “Publix does not participate in or promote lottery stories. Rather, we offer the lottery as a service to our customers.”
The Publix stores that sold the winning prizes don’t advertise that fact either. Though there have been signs warning against the use of bicycles, skateboards or inline skates, signs about the store’s pet policy and signs requesting unvaccinated customers wear a mask to curb the spread of COVID-19, there are no signs in Publix stores touting big jackpot wins.
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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