Checking your tickets after a big drawing is always a mix of adrenaline and that tiny, nagging hope that your life is about to change forever. Saturday night was no different. If you’ve got a slip of paper sitting on your kitchen counter or tucked into your wallet, it’s time to pull it out. The georgia powerball numbers for last night, Saturday, January 17, 2026, have been drawn, and the stakes were pretty high with an estimated jackpot of $179 million.
The winning numbers were 5, 8, 27, 49, 57 and the red Powerball was 14. If you were smart enough to shell out the extra dollar for the Power Play, that multiplier came in at 4X.
Think about that for a second. A $179 million jackpot with a cash option of roughly $81.5 million. Even after Uncle Sam takes his cut, that is "never-work-again" money. It's buy-an-island money. Or, at the very least, pay-off-the-mortgage-and-buy-a-nice-boat money.
The Nitty-Gritty on Last Night's Results
Honestly, most people focus on the big jackpot, but there are a lot of ways to win something back. In Georgia, we’ve seen plenty of folks walk away with $50,000 or even $1 million just by missing that red ball.
The drawing took place right on schedule at 10:59 p.m. ET. If you missed the live broadcast on WSB-TV in Atlanta, don't sweat it. The official results were verified and posted shortly after. While we are still waiting on the full prize breakdown to see if any lucky Georgian hit a major tier, the energy around this specific rollover has been building for weeks.
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Basically, no one matched all six numbers on Wednesday, January 14. That’s why the pot grew to where it is now. Here is a quick look at how the numbers broke down:
- White Balls: 5, 8, 27, 49, 57
- Powerball: 14
- Power Play: 4X
If you matched just the Powerball (14), you won four bucks. If you got that Power Play, that $4 turns into $16. It’s not a mansion, but it pays for your next few tickets and maybe a sandwich.
What Most People Get Wrong About Powerball
There's this weird myth that some numbers are "due" to hit. You’ll hear people talking about "hot" and "cool" numbers at the gas station while they’re waiting in line. For the record, the Georgia Lottery actually tracks these. Lately, numbers like 5, 18, and 21 have been popping up a lot. Meanwhile, 69 and 68 have been staying shy.
But here is the reality: the balls don't have a memory.
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The physics of those gravity-pick machines doesn't care that the number 5 was drawn last night. Every single drawing is a fresh start. The odds of hitting the jackpot remain a staggering 1 in 292.2 million. To put that in perspective, you are way more likely to be struck by lightning or even become a movie star. But hey, someone has to win, right?
How to Claim Your Prize in Georgia
So, let's say you looked at those georgia powerball numbers for last night and realized you actually won something substantial. Don't go screaming from the rooftops just yet.
First, sign the back of that ticket immediately. In Georgia, a lottery ticket is a "bearer instrument." That basically means whoever holds the signed ticket owns the prize. If you lose an unsigned winning ticket, and someone else finds it, you’re likely out of luck.
If your prize is $600 or less, you can usually claim it at any authorized Georgia Lottery retailer. They’ll just scan it and hand you the cash right there. For anything over $600, you’ve got to head to a District Office or the Georgia Lottery headquarters near Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta.
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A Quick Word on Taxes
Georgia isn't just going to let you walk away with the full amount. The state takes its 5.49% cut, and the feds are going to want 24% (at least initially) for anything over $5,000. If you hit the jackpot, you'll be in the highest tax bracket anyway, so plan on losing nearly 40% of that total to taxes eventually. It sounds painful, but 60% of $179 million is still a lot of zeros.
Why This Specific Drawing Matters
The January 17 draw is interesting because it’s part of a post-holiday surge. Typically, lottery sales dip a bit after the New Year when everyone is looking at their credit card bills. But once the jackpot crosses that $150 million mark, people start "dreaming in lottery" again.
We saw a lot of activity at retailers across Gwinnett and Fulton counties for this one. The Power Play multiplier of 4X is also a nice bonus for those middle-tier winners. If someone matched four white balls and the Powerball, they’d usually win $50,000. With that 4X multiplier, that ticket is now worth $200,000.
Next Steps for Ticket Holders
Before you toss your ticket or start picking out paint colors for your new mansion, do these three things:
- Triple-check the date. Make sure you aren't looking at Wednesday's numbers by mistake. Last night was Saturday, Jan 17.
- Use the official App. Download the Georgia Lottery app and use the ticket scanner feature. It’s way more reliable than squinting at a screen and comparing numbers manually.
- Check the "Double Play" if you played it. Some people forget they added the Double Play option for an extra $1. This is a separate drawing with its own set of numbers and a top prize of $10 million.
If you didn't win this time, the next drawing is Monday night. The jackpot will either reset to $20 million if someone hit it last night, or it’ll jump closer to $200 million if it rolled over again. Keep an eye on the official Georgia Lottery site for the jackpot update which usually happens by Sunday morning.
Safe to say, even if you didn't wake up a multi-millionaire this morning, there's always the next draw. Just play responsibly and keep that ticket in a safe spot.