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The lottery billboard on Tara Boulevard in Jonesboro. (Credit: Tammy Joyner)
Georgia Lottery jackpots are once again up for grabs to lucky winners, with the Powerball soaring to $865 million and the Mega Millions has reset to $20 million. That’s because a winner walked away this week with the more than $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot, according to reports.
The next drawing for Powerball is tonight.
Since the Powerball jackpot began growing in January through the last drawing, it has generated approximately $17.5 million for education in the state, a Georgia Lottery representative told State Affairs on Wednesday. Georgia Lottery players have won approximately $8.6 million in Powerball prizes.
And the Mega Millions jackpot has funneled approximately $23.2 million into education in Georgia, since that jackpot began growing in December, the official said. Lottery players in the state have won about $8.7 million in Mega Millions prizes.
Not only have the jackpots sparked dreams of fortune among players, but millions of students have been granted higher education opportunities through the state’s HOPE Scholarship program. The funds raised by the lottery have also been used to support other educational initiatives like Georgia’s Pre-K program.
Your odds of winning tonight’s Powerball? Roughly 1 in 302.6 million. But don’t let that discourage you.
Students like Moises Guzman have benefited from it. As previously reported, profits from the state’s lottery made it possible for Guzman to become the first in his family to go to college, thanks to his Zell Miller Scholarship.
Check out more stories on the Georgia Lottery and the education programs it funds:
- College applications to GA schools are free in March. Here’s how to snag that scholarship.
- What to know about the new Georgia Match direct college admissions program
- HOPE Scholarship vs. Zell Miller Scholarship: Key differences
- Is Georgia’s Zell Miller Scholarship still worth the effort?
- Georgia’s Lottery Funds Preschools, Scholarships. But It May Not Be As Much As You Think
Issac Morgan is the newsletter editor for State Affairs. You can contact him on X or at [email protected].
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Correction: This story has been updated to accurately state when the jackpots began growing. We sincerely regret the error.
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