Augusta Fantasy 5 Ticket Wins $172,244
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A Fantasy 5 ticket sold in Augusta is worth $172,244 after matching all five numbers in Georgia’s July 8 drawing.
The ticket was purchased at Short Stop, 4086 Jimmie Dyess Parkway. Two other winning tickets were sold in Sugar Hill and Hampton, dividing the top-prize pool equally among three winners.
Five numbers created three equal jackpot shares
The winning numbers were 1, 4, 6, 9 and 17.
Each of the three tickets matched all five, producing a combined top-prize payout of $516,732. Divided equally, each winning ticket carries a $172,244 prize.
Fantasy 5 uses a pari-mutuel system for its larger cash prizes.
The Georgia Lottery game rules explain that winners in the same prize category share the available pool. The amount attached to a jackpot can therefore be split when more than one ticket matches every number.
That is why the Augusta ticket did not receive the entire $516,732.
The other jackpot tickets were purchased at Publix Super Market #0596 in Sugar Hill and Publix #1891 in Hampton. Georgia Lottery had not publicly identified the ticket holders when the winning retailers were announced.
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The ticket should be signed and secured immediately
A physical lottery ticket functions as the evidence needed to claim the prize.
Georgia Lottery advises players to sign and print their name on the back after purchase. A winner who still has an unsigned ticket should secure it before discussing the prize widely or taking it to a claim center.
Photos can help preserve a record, but an image does not replace the original ticket.
The winner should also verify the result through the official winning-numbers page or a Georgia Lottery office rather than relying only on a social-media post or message.
The Lottery warns that legitimate winners are not required to pay a fee in advance to unlock a prize. Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or banking passwords are common scam signs.
No one should infer the winner’s identity from the retailer, neighborhood or time of purchase.
The claim cannot be completed at the convenience store
Georgia retailers can generally pay prizes of $600 or less.
A $172,244 prize must go through the formal Georgia Lottery claim process. The official claim guide says prizes over $601 can be claimed at headquarters, a district office or by mail.
The claimant must provide a completed form, valid government-issued photo identification and proof of a Social Security number.
Prizes between $601 and $249,999 claimed at a Lottery headquarters or district office are generally paid the same day. The airport kiosks cannot process a prize this large because their claim limit is $25,000.
Mail is allowed, but the Lottery says it is not responsible for a ticket lost by the postal service or another carrier. Mail claims also normally take four to six weeks to process.
An in-person appointment provides a more direct record for a six-figure ticket.
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The winner has 180 days from the drawing
Fantasy 5 prizes expire 180 days after the drawing date.
That gives the Augusta ticket holder until early January 2027, subject to the official calendar calculation used by Georgia Lottery. Waiting until the final days adds avoidable risk if the ticket is lost, damaged or if identification documents need to be replaced.
The winner does not need to rush publicly.
A short pause can be used to secure the ticket, review the claim instructions and speak with a qualified tax or financial professional. The deadline allows planning without turning the ticket into a long-term storage problem.
Online tickets are handled differently because smaller prizes may be credited automatically and larger winners receive instructions through their registered account.
The Augusta ticket was sold by a retailer, so the original paper ticket remains central to the claim.
Withholding is not the final tax bill
Georgia Lottery deducts federal and state income-tax withholding from prizes above $5,000.
The amount withheld is not necessarily the winner’s final liability. Total income, deductions, filing status and other circumstances can change what is owed when the tax return is filed.
The IRS guidance on gambling income states that lottery winnings are fully taxable and must be reported.
State debts above $100 for certain child-support, education or revenue obligations can also be deducted under Georgia’s claim process.
A winner should keep every claim and withholding document instead of treating the advertised $172,244 as the exact amount available to spend.
Tax planning is especially useful before paying debts, making gifts or committing to large purchases.
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The draw shows how quickly jackpot math changes
Fantasy 5 costs $1 per basic play and asks players to choose five numbers from 1 through 42.
The official jackpot odds are 1 in 850,668. Drawings are held daily, and the jackpot starts at $125,000 before rolling when no ticket matches all five numbers.
Multiple winners change the payout immediately because the top prize is shared.
For the July 8 drawing, three people reached the same unlikely result. The Augusta ticket is valuable, but it represents one-third of the final top-prize pool rather than a sole claim to the full jackpot.
💭 TheTrendsWire's Take
The practical story begins after the winning numbers. The Augusta holder has a six-figure claim, but the original ticket, formal appointment, 180-day deadline and tax documents will determine how smoothly the prize moves from a retailer announcement into the winner’s account.
TL;DR
- An Augusta Fantasy 5 ticket won $172,244.
- The winning numbers were 1, 4, 6, 9 and 17.
- Three tickets split a combined $516,732 top-prize pool.
- The Augusta ticket was sold at Short Stop on Jimmie Dyess Parkway.
- The winner has 180 days to claim through Georgia Lottery.
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Business & Finance Editor
Sarah Collins reports on markets, Wall Street, corporate news, and the global economy. She specializes in making financial news accessible to everyday readers.
