Florida Ticket Wins $800 Million Mega Millions Jackpot
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A single ticket purchased in Florida matched all six numbers in the July 28 drawing to claim an estimated $800 million Mega Millions jackpot.
The winning numbers drawn Tuesday night were white balls 34, 48, 49, 59, and 70, plus gold Mega Ball 12.
The win represents the third Mega Millions jackpot hit during 2026. This prize ranks as the tenth largest jackpot in the history of the game.
Mega Millions officials confirmed the single winning ticket location Wednesday morning.
"A lucky ticket-holder in the Sunshine State will be celebrating the summer in style with a big Mega Millions® jackpot win!"
Mega Millions issued that statement in its official news release following the drawing.
Prize Options and Payout Details
The jackpot winner possesses two payment options. The winner can choose an annuity paid out over thirty annual installments totaling $800 million. The alternative choice is a single lump-sum cash payment of $344.2 million.
Federal income taxes apply to both payout options upon prize collection. Florida law does not levy state income taxes on lottery prizes. Under Florida state regulations, winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or higher can request that state officials withhold their identity from public disclosure for 90 days after claiming the prize.
Thirty-eight consecutive drawings occurred without a jackpot hit after an Ohio ticket won on March 17. During that run, players bought nearly 10.9 million winning tickets at lower prize tiers, generating more than $273 million in non-jackpot winnings.
Nationwide Winners and Ticket Tier Breakdown
The July 28 drawing produced 645,993 winning tickets across all prize levels.
Two non-jackpot tickets matched all five white balls to win multi-million-dollar prizes.
A player in Illinois bought a ticket with the 5X Megaplier option, winning $5 million. A player in New York bought a ticket with the 3X Megaplier option, winning $3 million.
Over the entire 38-drawing run, players won 18 second-tier prizes totaling $2 million to $5 million across 10 states. Players also won 263 third-tier prizes ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 across 38 states.
Game Rules and Historical Context
Mega Millions changed its ticket price to $5 per play in April 2025. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 24.
The mathematical odds of winning the top jackpot are 1 in 290,472,336.
Florida has won or shared six Mega Millions jackpots since state lottery officials joined the multi-state game in 2013. Florida also holds the record for the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever recorded, a $1.602 billion prize won on August 8, 2023.
The jackpot resets to $50 million, with a cash option of $21.5 million, for the next drawing scheduled on Friday, July 31.
