A lottery player in Florida is waking up a multi-millionaire after winning Tuesday night’s $800 million Mega Millions jackpot.
The Florida Lottery announced that the only jackpot-winning ticket for the July 28 drawing was sold at a Wawa on State Road 70 East in Bradenton, near Sarasota. The ticket matched all six winning numbers, ending a 37-drawing jackpot rollover.
The winning numbers were 34, 48, 49, 59, 70, with the Mega Ball 12.
The winner can choose between receiving the full $800 million prize paid out over time or taking a one-time cash payment of about $344.2 million before taxes.
Lottery officials called it a life-changing win and said proceeds from ticket sales help fund education programs across Florida. “This win is an exciting reminder that every ticket carries the possibility of a dream come true,” Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald Dixon said in a statement. “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.”
The odds of matching all six Mega Millions numbers are about 1 in 303 million, making it one of the hardest lottery jackpots to win.
The jackpot is the 10th-largest in Mega Millions history and the largest lottery prize won in Florida since the state’s record $1.602 billion Mega Millions jackpot in 2023.
Florida company claims $1 million Powerball prize
In a separate lottery win, a Florida-based limited liability company has claimed a $1 million Powerball prize from a ticket purchased in Queens, New York.
The 31826 Limited Liability Company, based in Indialantic, Florida, matched the first five numbers in the March 18 Powerball drawing to win the game’s second-tier prize. The winning ticket was purchased at Horizon Pharmacy III in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens.
The company chose the lump-sum option and received $651,000 after required tax withholdings.