One ticket, sold at a Wawa on State Road 70 in Bradenton, Florida, matched all six numbers in the July 28 Mega Millions drawing. It was worth $803 million, and as of late August the winner has claimed it. Here is what happened, what that money really amounts to after the lottery and the IRS take their turn, and what you should do if you ever hold a ticket like it.
Key takeaways
- Winning numbers on July 28: 34, 48, 49, 59, 70 and Mega Ball 12. Only one ticket matched all six.
- The $803 million is the 30-year annuity. The cash option was an estimated $345.5 million before taxes.
- The winner has since claimed the prize and, according to a local report, took the cash option. The winner has not been publicly identified.
- Florida has no state income tax, but federal tax still takes a very large share.
- The next jackpot reset to $50 million. It climbed to $463 million, no one won the top prize on October 30, and it is now an estimated $482 million for Tuesday, November 3.
Update as of November 3, 2026: what has happened since July
When this story first ran, the winner was unknown. Since then, a local outlet in Manatee County reported on August 31 that the Florida Lottery had announced a claim. It said the winner chose the one-time cash option, valued at about $344.2 million before federal taxes, and that the person’s identity was not released. The ticket was a computer-generated Quick Pick bought at the Wawa at 14510 State Road 70 East, in the Lakewood Ranch area of Bradenton, according to the Suncoast Post.
Note the small difference in the cash figure: $345.5 million was the estimate on drawing night, and the report of the claim cites $344.2 million. We have not seen the Florida Lottery’s own final figure, so treat “about $344 to $345 million” as the safe description.
Whether the name will become public is a Florida-specific question, covered below. Meanwhile, the game has moved on. Mega Millions says the jackpot reset to $50 million for the next drawing. After no top-prize winner on October 27 (numbers 14, 19, 21, 45, 67 and Mega Ball 3), it reached an estimated $463 million for the Friday, October 30 drawing. That drawing (numbers 5, 10, 38, 49, 68 and Mega Ball 17) also had no top-prize winner, so the jackpot has grown to an estimated $482 million, with a $203.6 million cash option, for the Tuesday, November 3 drawing at 11 p.m. ET.
The draw, in numbers
According to Mega Millions, this was the third jackpot of 2026 (after $536 million in Illinois in March and $60 million in Ohio in March) and the tenth-largest in the game’s history. The Suncoast Post notes it came after 37 drawings with no jackpot winner. The top prize also was not the only big result that night: two second-tier tickets, one in New York at $3 million and one in Illinois at $5 million, matched five white balls and carried multipliers.
The odds of the jackpot are 1 in 290,472,336. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 23. Tickets cost $5, and drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern.
$803 million versus $345.5 million, and what is left after tax
The advertised $803 million is paid over 30 graduated annual installments. Almost no one waits that long, because the cash option pays a single lump sum, and that is what this winner reportedly took. Federal tax is withheld either way. The Florida Lottery says 24% is withheld on prizes over $5,000 when the winner has a valid Social Security number, but the top federal bracket is 37%, so the withholding does not cover the full bill.
The table below is our own simplified arithmetic, not tax advice and not the winner’s actual figures. It applies flat rates to the $345.5 million estimate and ignores deductions, planning and any later-year income.
| Step | Approximate amount | How we got it |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised jackpot (annuity) | $803 million | Mega Millions figure |
| Cash option, before tax | $345.5 million | Mega Millions estimate on draw night |
| Federal withholding at 24% | about $82.9 million | 345.5 × 0.24 |
| Rough total federal tax at 37% | about $127.8 million | 345.5 × 0.37 (slightly overstated, since lower brackets apply to the first dollars) |
| Rough amount left | about $217 million | 345.5 minus 127.8 |
| Florida state income tax | $0 | Florida has no individual state income tax |
Florida’s claim rules, and can a winner stay anonymous?
Per the Florida Lottery’s winner’s guide, draw-game prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. A winner who wants the cash option has a shorter window: the election must be made within 60 days of the draw, or the prize is paid as annual installments. Prizes over $1 million are claimed at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.
On privacy, the answer is “partly”. The Lottery’s guide says that for claims of $250,000 or more, the winner’s name is exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the claim date, unless the winner waives it. After that, the name is no longer confidential. Its FAQ is blunt: Florida winners cannot remain anonymous, though home addresses and phone numbers stay confidential. So if the claim was made around the end of August, the name could become obtainable around late November. We have not confirmed the exact claim date.
If you ever win: a checklist
- Sign the back of the ticket and secure it. The Florida Lottery advises signing as soon as you buy. If you plan to claim through a trust, ask a lawyer first, because signing can complicate that.
- Check the numbers on the official site and ignore anyone who contacts you offering to help for a fee. No legitimate lottery charges to release a prize.
- Find out your state’s deadlines and privacy rules before you talk to anyone, including the cash-option election window.
- Hire a tax attorney and a fee-only financial adviser before claiming. Decide cash versus annuity with them, not on impulse.
- Keep it quiet while you plan, and do not post photos of the ticket.
- Make a spending and giving plan and put the money somewhere boring and safe while you think.
Frequently asked questions
Where was the winning ticket sold?
At a Wawa at 14510 State Road 70 East in Bradenton, Florida, per local reporting. Mega Millions itself says only that it was sold in Florida.
Has the winner come forward?
A claim was reported in late August, but the name was not released. Under Florida law it can become obtainable after 90 days.
How long do Florida winners have to claim?
180 days from the draw, and 60 days if they want the cash option.
What are the odds of winning the jackpot?
1 in 290,472,336. The odds of any prize are 1 in 23.
What is the jackpot now?
An estimated $482 million ($203.6 million cash) for Tuesday, November 3, after no one won the top prize on October 30. Check megamillions.com for the latest figure after each draw.
Play responsibly. A lottery ticket is paid entertainment, not an investment, and long droughts do not make a win more likely. Only spend what you can afford to lose. If gambling is causing you stress, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-GAMBLER.
For more, visit our News section.
For official information on this story, see Mega Millions’ announcement of the Florida jackpot, the Florida Lottery winner’s guide, and Mega Millions’ official site. Retailer and claim details come from local reporting by the Suncoast Post and Pulse of Manatee.
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