Newnan, known as the “City of Homes” for its historic architecture and charming downtown square, now has a newfound fame.
It is the place where the largest lottery ticket in Georgia’s history was sold.
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Officials announced the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, Revealing that someone bought the $980 million winning ticket at a Publix off Interstate 29 in Newnan.
The nearly $1 billion jackpot breaks the previous record set last year when someone in Buford won a prize of $478.2 million.
This latest prize is nearly double that, making some Newnan residents like Erica Lawson wish they had played.
“I woke up to a text saying, ‘Please tell me you’re the one who won,’ and I never wanted anything to be real,” Lawson said.
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Others, like Graham Smith, hope the winner will bring a little of that good luck to the City of Homes.
“We hope they take this and reinvest in the community and the place they live in and make it better for everyone,” Smith said.
The estimated cash prize is $452.2 million. This is also an exciting win for Newnan Publix.
Any Georgia Lottery retailer who sells a jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket can receive a $50,000 retailer incentive bonus.
In Georgia, Mega Millions winners have 180 days from the drawing date to claim prizes.
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