A couple of routine grocery runs in Miami quietly turned into the biggest Florida Lottery scores of Wednesday, thanks to two Publix supermarkets in Coral Gables and Aventura. A Quick Pick sold in Coral Gables matched the Fantasy 5 evening numbers for a payout of roughly $110,506, while a midday ticket sold in Aventura is tied to about $55,747. With only a handful of big-money winners statewide that day, the lucky players now have to tackle the Florida Lottery’s district office claim process.
Where the lucky tickets were purchased
Wednesday’s Fantasy 5 midday numbers were 1, 11, 14, 16 and 31, matching a ticket sold at a Publix in Aventura. The evening draw came up 1, 4, 7, 12 and 32, lining up with a Quick Pick printed at a Coral Gables Publix. According to the Miami Herald, the Aventura ticket was claimed by a Quebec resident for roughly $55,747, while the Coral Gables Quick Pick is listed at about $110,506. Both payouts are tied to Miami-Dade stores, giving Publix shoppers a little extra reason to glance twice at their slips.
How winners claim prizes
According to the Florida Lottery, draw-game prizes of $600 or more generally have to be claimed in person at a district office instead of at the store where the ticket was bought. For Miami-area players, the district office is at 14621 Oak Lane in Miami Lakes and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Winners get 180 days from the date of the drawing to file a claim and are urged to sign the back of the ticket, bring a valid photo ID and show up with completed claim forms. The site lists [email protected] and 305-364-3080 for questions or to set up a visit, although appointments are optional for walk-ins who do not mind a wait.
Publix's hot streak in South Florida
These two payouts are part of a broader spring streak in which Publix checkout terminals across South Florida keep spitting out Fantasy 5 tickets worth mid-five and six figures. Local outlets have chronicled several Quick Picks that went from forgettable slips to top Fantasy 5 winners, a trend that has some shoppers taking an extra beat at the register before crumpling a printout. Hoodline recently chronicled that run in a piece on how Publix shoppers continue to strike it big.
What else to know
While Fantasy 5 delivered in South Florida on Wednesday, the Powerball jackpot stayed put. No one hit the top prize, so the advertised annuitized jackpot rose to an estimated $348 million for Saturday’s drawing, according to Powerball.com. Anyone who thinks they might be holding one of the winning Fantasy 5 slips is urged to sign it immediately, follow the Florida Lottery claim checklist and contact the Miami district office. The Lottery gives winners 180 days from the drawing date to officially claim their prize, which is plenty of time, but not something most people want to procrastinate once six figures are on the line.
