A single Mega Millions ticket sold in Florida has won an $800 million jackpot, making it the largest U.S. lottery prize awarded in 2026 and one of the biggest Mega Millions jackpots ever. Lottery officials confirmed that the winning ticket matched all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing, while the winner has not yet come forward publicly.
The jackpot carries two payout options. The winner can either receive the full $800 million as an annuity paid over 30 years, or choose an immediate cash option worth approximately $344.2 million before taxes. Under current U.S. tax rules, lottery winnings are subject to federal taxation, meaning the final amount received would be substantially lower depending on the winner’s tax situation. Florida itself does not impose a state income tax on lottery prizes.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot remain extraordinarily small – approximately 1 in 290 million – making victories of this scale exceptionally rare. The latest win ends a months-long jackpot rollover that steadily increased the prize as no player matched all six numbers in previous drawings.
According to reports, the winning ticket was purchased at a Wawa convenience store in Bradenton, Florida, near Sarasota. The retailer will receive a bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket, while lottery officials continue waiting for the winner to claim the prize. Under Florida rules, winners generally have 180 days to claim a jackpot, although those selecting the lump-sum cash option must make that election within 60 days.
The $800 million prize ranks among the largest jackpots in Mega Millions history and highlights the continued popularity of U.S. multi-state lottery games, where jackpots can grow rapidly through consecutive drawings without a grand-prize winner. The next Mega Millions drawing will reset to the game’s $50 million starting jackpot, while attention is expected to shift toward the still-growing Powerball jackpot.
Massive lottery prizes have become increasingly common over the past decade as game rule changes increased the odds against winning while allowing jackpots to roll over for longer periods. Those changes have produced multiple billion-dollar prizes and transformed Mega Millions and Powerball into some of the world’s largest lottery games.
