A single lottery ticket sold on Florida’s Gulf Coast has produced the newest jackpot winner in U.S. lottery history, taking home an estimated $800 million prize in the Mega Millions drawing held Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Where the Ticket Was Sold
The winning ticket was purchased at a Wawa convenience store located at 14510 State Road 70 East in Bradenton, Florida — a Gulf Coast city just north of Sarasota and roughly 45 miles southwest of Tampa. Florida Lottery officials confirmed the location after hours of speculation following the drawing, and the retailer is now expected to receive a bonus for selling the winning ticket.
As of this writing, the winner has not come forward or been publicly identified.
The Winning Numbers
The numbers drawn were 34, 48, 49, 59, 70, with a Mega Ball of 12.
How Big Is the Prize?
The jackpot is valued at an estimated $800 million if taken as an annuity paid out over time, or roughly $344.2 million as a one-time lump-sum cash payment (before taxes). That makes it:
- The third Mega Millions jackpot won in 2026
- The 10th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history
- Part of a run that had gone unclaimed for months — the jackpot had been climbing since the last winner, building over dozens of consecutive drawings without a match
Florida’s Mega Millions Track Record
This isn’t Florida’s first brush with lottery history. The state already holds the all-time record Mega Millions jackpot: a staggering $1.602 billion prize won on August 8, 2023. Since joining Mega Millions in 2013, Florida has now won or shared in six separate jackpots — making it one of the game’s most jackpot-friendly states.
What Happens Next
Florida winners have 180 days from the drawing date to claim their prize. However, anyone hoping to take the lump-sum cash option instead of the annuity must file that claim within 60 days of the drawing — a tighter window that’s already ticking.
Whoever holds the ticket will eventually need to decide between the annuitized payout, spread across annual installments, or the reduced lump-sum cash value, before taxes further shrink the total.
The Broader Lottery Picture
The Mega Millions win comes amid an active stretch for U.S. lotteries generally. Powerball’s jackpot has also been climbing steadily without a winner in recent drawings, pushing well past $700 million and continuing to grow heading into early August 2026 — meaning lottery players across the country currently have two enormous jackpots to chase.
Sources: News4JAX, CBS News Miami, CBS12, ClickOrlando, Central Oregon Daily/USA Today