The winner of the $800 million Mega Millions ticket sold near Sarasota has claimed the prize and chosen the $344.2 million cash option, according to newly updated Florida Lottery records.
The winner is listed as being from Bradenton but remains temporarily exempt from public disclosure under Florida law. The winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased at Wawa No. 5185, located at 14510 State Road 70 E. in Bradenton, just east of Lakewood Ranch and a short drive from Sarasota.
The Florida Lottery report identifies the advertised jackpot as $800 million and the winner’s cash-option prize as $344.2 million before taxes.
The jackpot-winning ticket matched all six numbers drawn July 28, ending a 37-drawing rollover streak. The winning numbers were 34-48-49-59-70,
and the Mega Ball was 12.
The ticket was the only one nationwide to win the jackpot.
Lottery officials announced July 29 that the ticket had been sold at the Wawa along the busy State Road 70 corridor in eastern Manatee County. When contacted by the Herald-Tribune at the time, the store manager declined to discuss the historic win.
“We’ve been told that we are not allowed to talk about that,” the manager told the Herald-Tribune.
The Florida Lottery’s jackpot-winners report now lists the winner as “exempt pursuant to F.S. 24.1051” and identifies the winner’s location as Bradenton, FL 34204. The report does not provide the winner’s name or the date the prize was claimed.
The $800 million prize ranks among the largest jackpots in Mega Millions history and is the biggest lottery prize won in Florida since the record-setting $1.602 billion Mega Millions jackpot in August 2023.
"We are thrilled to congratulate Florida's newest Mega Millions jackpot winner on this incredible, life-changing moment," said Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald Dixon in a statement.
"This win is an exciting reminder that every ticket carries the possibility of a dream come true. 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."
Below are answers to frequently asked questions about Florida Lottery.
How long do you have to cash in a Florida Lottery ticket?
Prizes for the Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
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.
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 states 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.
Top 10 highest Mega Millions jackpots of all time
As of Aug. 30, 2026, these are the largest Mega Millions prizes in the history of the game, according to megamillions.com.
- The largest Mega Millions jackpot won on a single ticket was for $1.58 billion for Aug. 8, 2023, drawing. Final sales pushed the grand prize to $1.602 billion. The winning ticket was sold at a Neptune Beach, Florida, Publix. Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida, claimed the prize.
- The second-largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018.
- $1.348 billion won in Maine on Jan. 13, 2023
- $1.337 billion won in Illinois on July 29, 2022
- $1.22 billion won in California on Dec. 27, 2024
- $1.128 billion won in Neptune, New Jersey, on March 26, 2024
- $1.050 billion won in Michigan on Jan. 22, 2021
- $983 million won in Newnan, Georgia, on Nov. 14, 2025
- $800 million won in Texas on Sept. 10, 2024
- $800 million, July 28, 2026. The winning ticket was purchased at a Wawa in Bradenton, Florida, and the winner chose the $344.2 million cash option.
Contributing: Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-tribune
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
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 Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Winner claims $800M Mega Millions ticket sold near Sarasota
