Winning the lottery is a freak occurrence. It’s the kind of thing you joke about while checking your bank balance at the gas pump, never actually expecting the machine to beep in that specific, life-changing way. But for one person in Camden, South Carolina, that "what if" became a very loud reality.
On Saturday, September 20, 2025, a ticket sold in the heart of Camden hit the Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot.
The prize? A cool $170,000.
It wasn’t a billion-dollar Powerball headline, but for a local resident or a traveler passing through Kershaw County, it’s a staggering amount of money to find in your pocket on a random Tuesday. The winning numbers were 14, 17, 20, 25, and 36. If you have a junk drawer filled with old receipts and lottery slips, you might want to start digging.
Where the Luck Landed: The Camden Circle K
The South Carolina Education Lottery confirmed that the winning slip was purchased at the Circle K located at 136 E. Dekalb St. in Camden.
It’s a busy spot. You’ve probably seen it. It's the kind of place where people grab a coffee or fill up before heading out on Highway 1. There is something fundamentally "small town" about a major win happening at a local staple. The store itself gets a little bit of the glory, too—retailers typically receive a commission for selling jackpot-winning tickets, which is a nice win-win for the local economy.
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Honestly, Camden seems to have a bit of a lucky streak lately. This isn't the first time the town has seen a significant Palmetto Cash 5 payout. Back in May 2023, someone grabbed a $300,000 prize from the Food Lion on Broad Street.
Why does this keep happening in Camden? It’s just math and volume, really. The more people play in a specific hub, the higher the statistical probability that a winner will eventually emerge from that zip code.
How the Palmetto Cash 5 Jackpot Actually Works
A lot of people get confused about how these jackpots fluctuate. Unlike the massive national games that grow for months, Palmetto Cash 5 is a rolling jackpot. It starts at $100,000.
If nobody wins, it rolls over and gets bigger every single day.
In the case of the September 2025 Camden win, the jackpot had rolled seven times. It was "primed," so to speak. To win the top prize, you have to beat odds of 1 in 850,668. To put that in perspective, you are significantly more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime than to hold that ticket.
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And yet, it happened.
The Power-Up Factor
One thing many players overlook is the "Power-Up" option. For an extra dollar, you can multiply non-jackpot winnings. While it doesn't increase the $170,000 jackpot itself, it can turn a $300 Match 4 win into a $3,000 windfall if the 10x multiplier is drawn.
The Camden winner didn't need the multiplier for the top spot, but thousands of other people in that same drawing walked away with smaller amounts because they opted in.
The 180-Day Countdown
Here is the part that stresses people out: the clock.
In South Carolina, lottery winners have exactly 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their money. For the September 20 win, that means the winner has until mid-March 2026 to show up at the claims center in Columbia.
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If they don’t? The money goes back into the pot—specifically toward the Education Lottery Account, which funds scholarships and local school programs.
It sounds crazy, but tickets go unclaimed all the time. People leave them in sun visors. They go through the wash in a pair of jeans. They get stuck between the seats of a truck. If you bought a ticket at that Circle K in September and haven't looked at it since, your 180-day window is shrinking every day.
What to Do If You're the Palmetto Cash 5 Camden Lottery Winner
If you realize you’re holding the $170,000 ticket, don’t run down to the Circle K screaming. There’s a process.
- Sign the back immediately. This is the most important step. A lottery ticket is a "bearer instrument." Basically, whoever holds it and signs it owns it. If you lose an unsigned winning ticket, and someone else finds it and signs it, it’s theirs.
- Secure it. Put it in a fireproof safe or a bank deposit box.
- Consult a pro. Even with $170,000, taxes are going to take a bite. South Carolina takes its share, and the IRS certainly takes theirs. You’ll likely clear somewhere in the neighborhood of $115,000 to $120,000 after all is said and done.
- Head to Columbia. Prizes over $100,000 must be claimed in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. You can’t just mail this one in.
Why This Matters for Camden
Camden is a town built on history and community. When a "local" wins, even if they choose to remain anonymous (which South Carolina law allows), it creates a buzz. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the gears of the universe align for someone just trying to get through their week.
The lottery isn't a retirement plan. It’s a game. But for that one person who walked into the Circle K on Dekalb Street, it became the best return on investment they'll ever see.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your old tickets: If you’ve been through Camden recently, look for any slips with the numbers 14, 17, 20, 25, and 36.
- Check the date: The drawing was September 20, 2025.
- Verify the location: Was it the Circle K at 136 E. Dekalb St.?
- Claim your prize: You have 180 days. Don’t let $170,000 turn into a "what could have been" story because you forgot to check your glove box.