A $5 Mega Millions ticket made someone who bought their ticket in Florida a multimillionaire and one of the richest winners in the history of the lottery game last night.
The jackpot rolled over 37 times since the previous win in March to reach the $800 million prize on Tuesday, July 28. The jackpot was tied for the ninth-largest in Mega Millions history.
Although it’s good news for the winner, those who were waiting for the jackpot to hit $1 billion will have to keep waiting to see if a 2026 jackpot will hit the billion mark for the first time since 2024.
The winning ticket was bought at a Wawa in Bradenton, Florida. Lottery winners in Florida cannot stay anonymous, but how long do they have to claim their prize?
Here are the winning numbers for the $800 million Mega Millions drawing on July 28, how long the winner has to claim their prize and lists of the highest Mega Millions and lottery jackpots of all time.
Florida ticket wins Tuesday, July 28, $800 million Mega Millions jackpot
Mega Millions drawings are at 11 p.m. ET Tuesdays and Fridays, including holidays. The winning numbers for the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, July 28, were 34-48-49-59-70 and the Mega Ball was 12.
One ticket in Florida matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball to win the $800 million jackpot prize, and the jackpot has reset to $50 million for the next drawing on Friday, July 31.
Where was the $800 million Mega Millions ticket bought?
According to lottery officials, the winning ticket was bought at a Wawa in Bradenton, Florida. The Wawa that sold the winning ticket is located at 14510 State Road 70 E, Bradenton, Florida.
How long is a winning lottery ticket valid in Florida?
Florida Lottery winners must claim their prizes within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim the single-payment cash option, winners have the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to do so.
Can you stay anonymous if you win the lottery in Florida?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence, game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site says that the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
How long has it been since Mega Millions hit $1 billion?
Although there were two billion-dollar jackpots in 2024 and two in 2023, there have been none since the 2025 ticket price change. The last time the Mega Millions jackpot hit $1 billion was in December 2024, about five months before the price for a Mega Millions ticket increased from $2 to $5.
It was the fifth-highest jackpot in the history of the game: $1.22 billion won in California on Dec. 27, 2024. It was the second jackpot that hit $1 billion that year. In March 2024, a ticket bought in Neptune, New Jersey, won $1.128 billion.
The jackpot nearly hit $1 billion in 2025 once, when a $983 million jackpot was won in Newnan, Georgia, on Nov. 14, 2025. It was the eighth largest jackpot in the game’s history.
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
The odds of winning are pretty low. According to the Mega Millions site, players have a 1 in 290,472,336 chance to match all five white balls plus the gold Mega Ball.
How long did the Mega Millions jackpot roll over?
The Mega Millions jackpot rolled over for a little over four months.
Before the July 28 win for $800 million, it was last won when a ticket purchased in Ohio matched all numbers to win a $60 million prize on St. Patrick’s Day, Tuesday, March 17.
Here’s a recap of lottery drawings for the recent rollover streak:
How much is a Mega Millions ticket? When did Mega Millions go from $2 to $5?
Mega Millions tickets start at $5 apiece. There is no “Megaplier” option for an extra $1 like in years past. The tickets increased from $2 to $5 in April 2025.
Top 10 highest Mega Millions jackpots of all time
The Tuesday, July 28, $800 million jackpot win tied for the ninth-highest Mega Millions jackpot win in the history of the game.
As of July 29, 2026, these are the largest Mega Millions prizes in the history of the game, according to megamillions.com:
Mega Millions, Powerball jackpots that hit $1 billion and higher
As of July 29, 2026, there have been 14 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. Listed below are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida
In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery, and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.
Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.
You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: How long does Florida Mega Millions winner have to claim $800 million?
Reporting by Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
