Florida Lottery Winners

Check out the latest news on big Florida Lottery wins! This page is regularly updated with new major prizes won in the Sunshine State and the stories behind them.

Neptune Beach Crowns Record Mega Millions Winner

The biggest win in Florida Lottery history came on August 8th 2023, after the Mega Millions jackpot reached unprecedented levels. The grand prize soared to $1.602 billion following 31 successive drawings without a winner.

Millions of players across the U.S. rushed to take part, but it was a player from the Sunshine State who ended up grabbing the lot. The winning ticket was sold at a Publix in Neptune Beach, located at 630 Atlantic Boulevard, just outside of Jacksonville.

The prize was later claimed by Saltines Holdings, LLC, so no further details were disclosed about the individual or group behind the winning ticket. Saltines Holdings, LLC went for the cash option of $794.2 million.

Biggest Powerball Winners

Florida has been the home of some of the biggest Powerball wins in history. Back in May 2013, Gloria MacKenzie from Zephyrhills won the largest prize ever seen on a single ticket at the time - $590 million. MacKenzie, who was 84, chose to take the cash option of $370 million.

In January 2016, one of the three tickets that split $1.58 billion was sold in the Sunshine State. It belonged to David Kaltschmidt and Maureen Smith from Melbourne Beach. They claimed their portion of the prize, worth more than $520 million, a month later.

Broward County Player Hits $2 Million Holiday Prize

December 22, 2020 - Genner Hernandez is the latest holiday lottery millionaire in South Florida. The 44-year-old Fort Lauderdale resident scored a $2 million grand prize on a 100X scratch-off ticket.

Hernandez, who visited Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee to claim his big win, opted to receive his payout as a single cash lump-sum of $1.605 million.

The lucky winner bought the ticket at Star K, located at 2509 SW 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The store will be paid a $4,000 bonus by the Lottery.

The 100X game, which was introduced in January 2020, costs $30 to play and offers eight top prizes, with a 1 in 3.46 overall chance of winning any prize.

$16.5 Million Florida Lotto Jackpot Claimed by Trust

December 18, 2020 - The Florida Lotto prize from the November 28 drawing has been claimed by Kurt Panouses, trustee of the MARCAR Trust. Indiatlantic resident Panouses, 63, visited Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee to collect the amazing win. The Trust opted to take the prize as a one-time payment of $13,648,711.36.

The lucky ticket was purchased at Winn-Dixie, 1105 Northeast Jensen Beach Boulevard in Jensen Beach. The store has been paid a $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Florida Lotto is the state's signature draw game, with a $1 million starting jackpot that keeps rolling until someone wins. Tickets cost $2 and there's a chance to win every Wednesday and Saturday night at 11:15 PM ET. Players also get a random multiplier that boosts any prize below the jackpot up to ten times. For the chance to win more prizes, try the Double Play and EZmatch add-ons.

$5,000,000 Cashword Wins for Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach Players

December 16, 2020 - The $5,000,000 Cashword certainly lived up to its name for 68-year-old Raymond Cineus. The lucky player hit the top prize on the scratch-off game with a ticket purchased from Publix at 9300 Commercial Blvd. in Sunrise. The store will be paid a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.

Cineus claimed the prize via a secure drop box at the FL Lottery Miami district office. He opted to receive his winnings as a single lump-sum payout of $3.915 million.

West Palm Beach resident Eileen Tuly also scratched her way to a seven-figure payout in December. She claimed her $1 million prize using the drop box in the Lottery's West Palm Beach office and decided to take a one-time cash option payment of $780,000.

Tuly picked up the lucky ticket from Mr. Mart at 10175 Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach. The store will receive a $2,000 Lottery bonus.

$5,000,000 Cashword, which was introduced in May 2020, costs $20 per ticket with the chance to hit one of the eight $5 million grand prizes; there are also 24 $1 million cash second prizes. The scratch-off has 1 in 2.79 overall odds of winning.

At the time this was the scratch off with the biggest prize in Florida, but since then a 300X The Cash has been introduced with a 1 in 2.93 overall odds of winning and features a top prize of $15,000,000. Then subsequently, 500X The Cash was introduced that offers a $25,000,000 jackpot.

Fastest Road to $1,000,000 Creates Four New FL Millionaires

December 2020 - The Fastest Road to $1,000,000 scratch-off delivered on its promise instantly for four Sunshine State residents just in time for the holidays.

Hallandale Beach man Rosario Alaimo, 50, purchased his lucky ticket at Circle K, 890 North 18th Ave. in Hollywood. The retailer was paid a $2,000 bonus commission. Almaio claimed using the secure drop box at the Lottery's Miami office and took his payout as a single cash lump sum of $790,000.

Winter Park resident Clarence Johnson, 53, claimed a $1 million win via the secure drop box at the Orlando district office and chose to receive a single cash payment of $790,000.00. Johnson bought his ticket at Publix, located at 440 North Orlando Avenue in Winter Park. The store will receive a $2,000 bonus commission.

Jay Popish, 58, of Boynton Beach also enjoyed a $1 million win recently with a ticket he picked up at the Shell station at 8840 Lawrence Road in Boynton Beach. The retailer received a $2,000 extra payment from the Lottery. Popish chose to take the cash option of $790,000 after leaving his claim in the secure drop box at the Lottery's West Palm Beach district office.

Christopher Richards, 54, also scratched his way to $1 million in December. The Fort Lauderdale winner decided to take his winnings as a one-time payout of $790,000 and claimed via the drop box at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.

Richards didn't tell his teen daughter about his life-changing prize before he claimed. "I'm going to surprise her by setting up a trust fund in her name, ensuring she can go to college, and getting her a reliable vehicle," he explained to Lottery officials. "As a parent, you always want to give your kids more than you had and now I can."

The winning ticket was sold by Legends Pub at 6235 North Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale; the venue will be paid a $2,000 Lottery bonus.

The Fastest Road to $1,000,000 began sales in February 2020 and a ticket costs $30. There are 155 grand prizes of $1 million to play for and over $948 million to be won in total; overall chances of winning are 1 in 2.79.

Brevard County Woman Scores Scratch-Off's Top Prize

The Fastest Road to $1,000,000 Scratch-Off game certainly lived up to its name for Annie Abnatha of Cocoa. She's a new Florida Lottery millionaire after claiming her $1 million grand prize win via the secure drop box in the Orlando District Office. She chose the single lump-sum payout of $790,000.

Abnatha picked up her lucky ticket from Sunlight, at 1204 Dixon Boulevard in Cocoa, and the store will be paid a $2,000 bonus.

The Fastest Road to $1,000,000 tickets cost $30 each and the game offers players the chance to win 155 $1 million prizes and more than $948 million in total prizes. The Scratch-Off launched in February and features overall odds of winning of 1 in 2.79.

Jacksonville Man Wins Big Twice in Three Years

Jacksonville resident Munib Garvanovic, 56, has truly beaten some steep odds with his latest win. He collected a $5 million top prize from the 200X The Cash Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee, three years after he hit a $1 million payout on the $5,000,000 Gold Rush Doubler Scratch-Off. He opted to take his prize money as a single lump-sum payment of $4,450,000.00.

Garvanovic always gets his tickets from the same convenience store. "I love playing the Lottery at my local Gate store! Every November I play my favorite Scratch-Off games because I feel it brings me extra luck," he said. "This is the second time in three years that this store has made me a winner!" The lucky Gate, which is at 1001 Monument Road in Jacksonville, will be paid a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

200X The Cash was introduced in September and costs $20 to play. It offers over $446 million in cash prizes, with ten grand prizes of $5 million each, and overall odds of winning of 1 in 2.96.