A single ticket sold in Florida became the winner of the Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night, an accumulated total of $800 million which represents the largest lottery prize of the year 2026, and the tenth largest in the history of the game, according to local news.
The winning numbers for the drawing on July 28 were 34, 48, 49, 59, and 70, with Mega Ball 12, a combination with odds of one in 290,472,336.
This Wednesday, the lottery authorities have not yet identified the lucky winner.
Will it be possible to know who won?
In Florida, there is no possibility of permanent anonymity for lottery winners, but state law provides temporary protection.
"When the prize exceeds $250,000, the winner's identity remains confidential for 90 days from the date they claim the prize," explained Telemundo 51.
After that period, the name becomes a public record, except for the exceptions provided by state law.
However, there is a way to add an extra layer of privacy: claiming the prize through a trust or a limited liability company.
“In Florida, winners can claim their prizes through a trust, so the name that is typically made public is that of the trustee or their attorney,” the same outlet clarified.
This strategy does not guarantee total and permanent anonymity, but it is the most commonly used formula by the big winners in the state.
The Florida temporary anonymity law has a clause that extends its validity until October 2, 2027.
How much money will you actually receive?
The winner must choose between two payment options within the first 60 days.
The first option is the annual payment: the $800 million is distributed in an initial disbursement plus 29 annual payments.
The second option is a one-time cash payment, estimated in this case at $344.2 million before taxes, a significantly lower amount than the announced prize, but available immediately.
Both options are subject to federal withholdings.
If you choose the lump sum payment, the mandatory federal withholding of 24% would reduce that figure to approximately $261.6 million, and the maximum federal rate of 37% could leave the final net amount around $165.6 million after tax filing.
Here comes into play a key advantage of living in Florida.
“There are only eight states that do not impose state taxes on lottery winnings, which means they offer the highest payout, and Florida is specifically one of them,” warned the cited media outlet.
A historic raffle for Florida
The result of this Tuesday ended a streak of 38 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner, which had been ongoing since the $60 million prize awarded in Ohio on March 17.
During that period, nearly 10.9 million tickets won minor prizes that totaled more than $273 million.
With this result, Florida has won or shared six Mega Millions jackpots since it joined the popular lottery game in 2013.
The state also holds the all-time historical record for the lottery: the $1.602 billion obtained on August 8, 2023, with a ticket sold in Neptune Beach, claimed by Saltines Holdings, LLC.
The winner has a period of 180 days from the date of the draw to claim the prize, and since it exceeds one million dollars, the process must be carried out at the Florida Lottery headquarters.
Meanwhile, lottery enthusiasts have another chance this Friday, August 1, when Mega Millions will restart its jackpot with a total of $50 million and a cash option of $21.5 million.
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