SC home to $1B lottery win. Could it happen again with next Powerball drawing?

Joyce Orlando, USA TODAY NETWORK

Mon, December 22, 2025 at 5:04 PM UTC

5 min read

It has been years since a South Carolinian has won the jackpot for Mega Millions or Powerball. But for those dreaming of a big win, the odds of winning big might not be in their favor.

South Carolina has had several big lottery wins over the years, but it's not one of the luckiest places in the United States, according to Jackpot.com. But it isn't unlucky either.

The ongoing Powerball drawing has produced several smaller wins for ticket buyers in the Palmetto State, with the most recent South Carolina wins coming from the Dec. 17 drawing: a ticket worth $50,000 was bought at the J K Mart at 5102 Two Notch Road in Columbia. Another ticket worth $50,000 was purchased at Food Lion #1605, 7631 N. Kings Hwy., in Myrtle Beach.

And while it may have been a while for a big jackpot win in the state, South Carolina is also home to one $1 billion ticket winner, along with plenty of other winners.

Here's a look at some of the biggest Powerball and Mega Millions prizes ever won in South Carolina, and when the next big Powerball drawing happens.

The Powerball prize is up to $820 million, and one of the million dollar club sites is at Kash Corner Energy Mart store on State Highway 418 in Simpsonville, S.C. Thursday, Dec 4, 2025.

What was the top Powerball, Mega Millions jackpot win in South Carolina?

The biggest winning ticket in the Palmetto State actually came from the Upstate.

In October 2018, the $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot winner was an anonymous South Carolina woman who bought a ticket while visiting Greenville County and bought her ticket at KC Mart in Simpsonville. She opted for a one-time lump-sum payment of $877,784,124, according to South Carolina Lottery officials.

It was the largest win ever in South Carolina and the last time South Carolina had a jackpot win.

Biggest lottery winners in South Carolina

Sweta Vora, right, and clerk DJ Smith in a hallway with past winners, some from Powerball, at the Kash Corner Energy Mart store on State Highway 418 in Simpsonville, S.C. Thursday, Dec 4, 2025.

In South Carolina, lottery winners can remain anonymous. So, while names of winners aren't always available, we do know where and when some of the biggest wins have happened.

Here's a look at some other big jackpots won in the state and where they were won.

Hot dog buns vs. lottery tickets: 2013 Powerball win, Columbia

The previous record holder before the 2018 Mega Millions win was a man who bought a $400 million Powerball ticket in the Columbia area in 2013, who never wanted to be identified.

According to reports from the Greenville News, on the day of the Powerball drawing, the man stopped for gas at a Murphy Express in Lexington, where his wife called and told him to pick up hot dog buns, officials said. He didn't find any buns, but he did leave with $20 in Powerball tickets.

Pastor steps forward with big Powerball win

Rev. Solomon Jackson Jr. didn't hide behind anonymity to claim his $260 million Powerball prize in 2009.

Jackson bought the ticket at the Murphy USA gas station on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia.

He grew up in Columbia and retired from the state Department of Revenue. Jackson reportedly gave some of his earnings to educational causes, including $500,000 to buy two 56-seat luxury coach buses for Benedict College, according to previous reporting.

What was the first Mega Millions, Powerball jackpot ever won in South Carolina?

A couple from Charlotte, North Carolina, were actually the first South Carolina jackpot winners.

Anthony and Monica Wilson were identified as the winners of an $88 million jackpot in 2003. A store near Fort Mill sold the state's first-ever winning Powerball ticket from the Red Rocket on U.S. 21 near Fort Mill.

Has any state not had a Powerball jackpot winner?

Several actually.

Lottery players in Maine, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Wyoming have all been unlucky when it comes to picking the jackpot-winning ticket. Since these states have participated in the Powerball lottery, these states have not sold a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket.

When is the next Powerball drawing?

The next Powerball drawing is on Monday, Dec. 22, at approximately 10:59 p.m. ET/9:59 p.m. CT. Powerball has three drawings each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

What are the odds of winning Powerball?

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

How to play Powerball

Want to play Powerball but not quite sure how it works? Here are some things to know.

To play Powerball, you first select five white ball numbers. These five numbers will be between one and 69. Then, pick one "Powerball" or red ball number. This number will be between one and 26.
For an extra dollar, you may choose to "power play," which multiplies all non-grand prize winnings by a factor of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10.
If you match at least one number in the Powerball drawing, you win a prize.

Where to buy lottery tickets in SC? Can I buy one online?

In South Carolina, tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores, and some grocery stores statewide.

South Carolina does not have online sales of Powerball and other lottery tickets, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery.

When do I have to buy a Powerball ticket by for the next drawing?

You've got some time until the next drawing, but sales of Powerball tickets end at 9:59 p.m. at retail stores the day of a drawing.

What are the biggest prizes in Powerball history

Here's how the biggest jackpot prizes in Powerball history stack up:

$2.040 billion, won in California on Nov. 7, 2022
$1.787 billion, won in Missouri and Texas on Sept. 6, 2025
$1.765 billion, won in California on Oct. 11, 2023
Estimated $1.6 billion, current Powerball drawing
$1.586 billion, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee on Jan. 13, 2016
$1.326 billion, won in Oregon on April 6, 2024
$1.080 billion, won in California on July 19, 2023
$842.4 million, won in Michigan on Jan. 1, 2024
$768.4 million, won in Wisconsin on Mar. 27, 2019
$758.7 million, won in Massachusetts on Aug. 23, 2017

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Has SC ever had a $1B lottery winner? Largest prizes, next drawing

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