Florida's $800 million Mega Millions ticket sold near Sarasota - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

What the report says

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Florida Lottery officials identified the seller of the lone winning ticket for the July 28 Mega Millions drawing: a Wawa at 14510 State Road 70 E. in Bradenton, near Sarasota and just east of Lakewood Ranch. The ticket matched all six drawn numbers for the advertised $800 million jackpot, ending a 37-drawing stretch without a jackpot winner.

According to the report, the winning numbers were 34, 48, 49, 59 and 70, with Mega Ball 12. The winner may take the prize as an $800 million annuity or choose an estimated $344.2 million cash option before taxes. Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald Dixon congratulated the winner in a statement and noted that lottery proceeds support education funding in the state.

The Herald-Tribune reported that the prize is among the largest in Mega Millions history and is Florida’s biggest lottery win since a $1.602 billion Mega Millions jackpot in August 2023. Two other tickets from the July 28 drawing also produced major prizes: an Illinois ticket won $5 million after matching five numbers with a 5X multiplier, and a New York ticket won $3 million with a 3X multiplier.

The article noted that Florida Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing, while winners choosing the single-payment cash option have 60 days to make that claim. Florida does not allow lottery winners to remain permanently anonymous, though names of winners claiming at least $250,000 are temporarily shielded from public disclosure for 90 days after the prize is claimed unless the winner waives that protection.