We have a winner! See where $800M Mega Millions ticket was sold
See which states are the luckiest in the lottery
USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes shares which states have claimed the most Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots wins.
We’ve got a winner! Someone has finally snagged the $800 million Mega Millions jackpot, which has been up for grabs for over four months.
On Tuesday, July 28, a lucky winner in Florida won the grand prize, according to the Mega Millions website. The jackpot, which has a cash value of $344.2 million, is the third Mega Millions jackpot win of the year and the tenth-largest jackpot in the game’s history.
The winner will have two options: take home a one-time, lump-sum cash payment or receive an immediate payment followed by annual checks, each 5% larger than the previous year.
There have been 38 drawings since the last Mega Millions jackpot was won in March on St. Patrick’s Day, when a person from Ohio took home the $60 million jackpot.
Here’s what you need to know about the Mega Millions drawing.
Where was the winning ticket sold?
The winning ticket was sold at a Wawa in Bradenton, Florida, about 45 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, a part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. The person who purchased the ticket has not been identified.
When the news outlet asked the store’s manager for comment, they declined and said they were not allowed to discuss it.
What were the winning numbers?
The winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions lottery are 34-48-49-59–70. The Mega Ball is 12.
Did anyone else win a Mega Millions prize?
Two other people won Mega Millions Match 5 Prizes.
One person from New York won the $3 million Match 5 prize, and another from Illinois won the $5 million Match 5 prize.
When is the next Mega Millions drawing?
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday, July 31, at 11 p.m. ET. Since someone has won the grand prize, the jackpot has reset to $50 million.
Top 10 Mega Millions Jackpots
- $1.602 billion on Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida
- $1.537 billion on Oct. 23, 2018, in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion on Jan. 1, 2023, in Maine
- $1.337 billion on July 29, 2022, in Illinois
- $1.269 billion on Dec. 27, 2024, in California
- $1.128 billion on Mar. 26, 2024, in New Jersey
- $1.05 billion on Jan 22, 2021, in Michigan
- $983 million on Nov. 14, 2025, in Georgia
- $810 million on Sept. 10, 2024, in Texas
- $800 million on July 28, 2026, in Florida
What is Mega Millions?
Mega Millions is a lottery played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Â
Each ticket costs $5, and players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers – five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball) – or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick.
You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. In the event of multiple jackpot winners, the jackpot prize will be shared.
How long do people have to collect a Mega Millions prize?
According to Mega Millions, the time to collect winnings varies state by state. But normally, the time ranges from 90 days to a year from the draw date.
Mega Millions officials encourage players to check with their local state lottery for specific claim periods.
How to play the Mega Millions
To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at several locations, including your local convenience store, gas station, or even grocery store.
In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online.
Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls numbered from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24.
If you’re feeling especially unlucky or don’t want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a “Quick Pick“ or an ”Easy Pick.” These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.
Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the “Megaplier.”
This file was updated with new information.
Contributing: Wade Tatangelo, Samantha Gholar, Lianna Norman, Jennifer Sangalang; Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers space phenomena, scientific studies and natural disasters. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This content is sourced from www.usatoday.com and is shared for informational purposes only.
