Sunshine State strikes again: $800M Mega Millions jackpot claimed

Florida just did it again. Is there a state with a stronger claim to Mega Millions luck?

A single ticket sold at Wawa, located at 14510 State Road 70 East in Bradenton, Florida, matched every number in the July 28 drawing to win an estimated $800 million jackpot ($344.2 million cash). The winning numbers: white balls 34, 48, 49, 59, and 70, plus the gold Mega Ball 12.

This is the third Mega Millions jackpot win of 2026. It's also the tenth-largest jackpot in the game's history. Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald Dixon stated:

We are thrilled to congratulate Florida's newest Mega Millions jackpot winner on this incredible, life-changing moment. This win is an exciting reminder that every ticket carries the possibility of a dream come true. We are especially grateful to our valued Florida Lottery players, whose continued support helps generate funding for education across our state. Every ticket purchased contributes to creating brighter futures for Florida's students.

Florida's Mega Millions history

Florida already holds the record for the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever: $1.602 billion, won almost exactly three years ago, on August 8, 2023.

The state joined Mega Millions in 2013. Since then, it has won or shared six jackpots. No other state has come close to matching that run of luck this decade.

What happened between wins

The jackpot had been climbing since March 17, when a player in Ohio won $60 million. Over the 38 drawings since then, players bought nearly 10.9 million winning tickets. Total non-jackpot prizes topped $273 million.

Eighteen of those tickets won second-tier prizes, ranging from $2 million to $5 million. Winners came from 10 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Another 263 tickets won third-tier prizes between $20,000 and $100,000. Those winners spanned 38 states, from Arizona to Wisconsin.

Inside the July 28 drawing

The July 28 drawing produced 645,993 winning tickets across every prize level, plus the one jackpot winner.

Two tickets matched all five white balls for the second-tier prize. A New York ticket with the 3X multiplier is worth $3 million. An Illinois ticket with the 5X multiplier is worth $5 million.

Fifteen tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball for the third-tier prize:

• Seven tickets worth $20,000: two in Florida, one each in California, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin.
• Five tickets worth $30,000: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Washington.
• Two tickets worth $40,000: New York and Wisconsin.
• One ticket worth $50,000: New Jersey.

Note: Prize amounts in California vary. They're calculated on a pari-mutuel basis.

Where things stand for 2026

Florida's win brings the year's jackpot count to three. The others: a $60 million prize in Ohio on March 17, and a $536 million jackpot in Illinois on March 10.

The jackpot resets to its starting value of $50 million ($21.5 million cash) for the next drawing on Friday, July 31.

The Florida winner has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. To take the cash option, the claim must be filed within 60 days of the drawing.