Winning the lottery is mostly a daydream for most of us. We imagine the phone call, the giant check, and the immediate resignation letter to a boss we've never liked. But for one Palmetto Cash 5 lottery winner, that fantasy actually turned into a reality this week in Spartanburg.
On Sunday, January 11, 2026, the South Carolina Education Lottery draw numbers hit exactly right for a single ticket holder. The prize? A rolling jackpot worth $418,000. That is not "quit your job and buy an island" money, but it is definitely "pay off the mortgage and breathe easier" money.
The $418,000 Spartanburg Secret
The winning ticket was sold at the Ken Food Mart #2, located at 496 S. Church St. in Spartanburg. Honestly, it’s one of those spots you might drive past every day without thinking twice. Now, it’s the luckiest corner in the city. The winning numbers were 9, 14, 17, 25, and 27.
Imagine checking your phone at 7:00 p.m. and seeing those specific digits staring back at you. It took 20 rolls for the jackpot to get that high. In the world of Palmetto Cash 5, where the prize resets to $100,000 after a win, hitting a $418,000 peak is a big deal.
Since the win, the lottery world has been buzzing. Who is it? We don't know yet. South Carolina is one of the few states that allows winners to remain anonymous, which is a massive blessing if you don't want every long-lost cousin knocking on your front door.
How Palmetto Cash 5 Actually Works Now
If you haven't played in a while, things have changed. Kinda recently, the South Carolina Education Lottery revamped the game. It used to be a dollar. Now? It's $2 per play.
👉 See also: Effingham County Jail Bookings 72 Hours: What Really Happened
People were a bit annoyed at first, but there's a trade-off. They got rid of the "Power-Up" add-on and just baked multipliers directly into the ticket. When you buy a ticket now, a multiplier (x2, x3, x5, or x10) is automatically printed on it for non-jackpot prizes.
Basically, if you match four numbers, the base prize is $300. But if your ticket has that x10 multiplier? You're looking at **$3,000**. That’s a huge jump for a secondary prize.
The Math Behind the Dream
Let's talk reality for a second. The odds of being a Palmetto Cash 5 lottery winner by matching all five numbers are 1 in 850,668.
Is it hard to win? Yes. Is it impossible? Clearly not. Compared to the Powerball, where the odds are about 1 in 292 million, Palmetto Cash 5 is practically a "sure thing" in the eyes of hardcore players.
- Match 5: 1 in 850,668 (Jackpot)
- Match 4: 1 in 4,598 ($300 base)
- Match 3: 1 in 128 ($5 base)
- Match 2: 1 in 11 ($1 base)
The overall odds of winning something are 1 in 10. You probably won't get rich, but you've got a decent shot at getting your $2 back or a few extra bucks for lunch.
✨ Don't miss: Joseph Stalin Political Party: What Most People Get Wrong
Why This Specific Win Matters
This Spartanburg winner became the 35th jackpot winner for this specific game. That tells us the jackpot hits fairly often. It doesn't just sit there for months growing into a billion dollars like Mega Millions. It’s a fast-paced game with a drawing every single night at 6:59 p.m.
The Ken Food Mart #2 also gets a little "thank you" from the state. Retailers receive a commission for selling winning tickets. It's usually around 1% of the prize, which means the store owner is likely looking at a $4,180 bonus just for being the place where the winner stopped for gas or a snack.
What Most People Get Wrong About Claiming
Here is where people mess up. If you think you're a winner, do not—I repeat, do not—just shove the ticket in your visor.
You have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim the money. If this Spartanburg winner waits until July 11, 2026, the money is gone. It goes back to the state to fund education programs.
Also, you have to sign the back of that ticket immediately. In South Carolina, a lottery ticket is a "bearer instrument." That is legal speak for "whoever holds the ticket owns the money." If you lose an unsigned winning ticket and someone else finds it, they can technically claim your $418,000.
🔗 Read more: Typhoon Tip and the Largest Hurricane on Record: Why Size Actually Matters
The Mystery of the Midlands Woman
While Spartanburg is celebrating the jackpot, someone else in the Midlands just had a "refreshing" win. On January 15, 2026, a woman stopped at the In and Out Market on Trotter Rd. in Columbia just to grab a drink. She bought a $3 Bingo scratch-off on a whim and walked away with **$75,000**.
She told lottery officials, "I know that money isn't everything, but this will sure help me out."
It's a reminder that while the Palmetto Cash 5 lottery winner gets the headlines, these smaller wins happen every day and change lives in quieter ways.
Actionable Steps for Future Winners
If you find yourself holding a winning ticket, whether it's the $100,000 starting jackpot or a massive $400k+ roll, follow this checklist.
- Sign the back. Use a pen. Do it now.
- Keep it safe. Put it in a fireproof safe or a bank deposit box.
- Stay quiet. Don't post a photo of the ticket on Facebook. People can scan the barcode from your photo and try to claim it or track you down.
- Consult a pro. Talk to a tax professional. The lottery will withhold 24% for federal taxes and 7% for South Carolina state taxes right off the top. You need to know what's actually hitting your bank account.
- Visit Columbia. For prizes over $100,000, you have to claim them in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center in Columbia.
The Spartanburg winner hasn't come forward publicly, and honestly, they're smart for it. Whether they use the money to retire early or just buy a really nice truck, they've beaten the odds.
Check your pockets and your junk drawers. If you bought a ticket at Ken Food Mart #2 recently, you might be the person everyone is looking for.
Next Steps for Players:
Verify your recent tickets against the official winning numbers: 9 - 14 - 17 - 25 - 27. If you have a winning ticket over $500, you must complete a claim form and provide a copy of a government-issued photo ID. For jackpot-level wins, schedule an appointment with the Columbia Claims Center to ensure a smooth payout process.