Florida

Mega Millions ticket worth $3 million sold at a Florida Publix. Here’s where

A Florida Mega Millions player is holding a ticket worth $3 million, according to the Florida Lottery.
A Florida Mega Millions player is holding a ticket worth $3 million, according to the Florida Lottery. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A lucky Florida lottery player is holding a Mega Millions ticket worth $3 million, thanks to the game’s 3x multiplier, according to the Florida Lottery.

It’s not yet clear if the winner knows it.

The ticket was purchased at a Publix supermarket in Daytona Beach and the player went with a quick pick, meaning a computer picked the numbers, Florida Lottery officials said.

Daytona Beach is about a 55-mile drive northeast from Orlando.

The drawing was held Tuesday, Aug. 26, and the winning numbers were 7-12-30-40-69 with the Mega Ball 17.

The ticket matched the five winning numbers but not the Mega Ball, just missing the $253 million jackpot.

Mega Millions tickets have a “built-in multiplier” that increases non-jackpot wins by up to 10 times.

Odds of winning a “second tier prize” with a 3x multiplier are about 1 in 12,629,232, Megamillions.com reports.

Winners have 180 days to claim prizes in lottery drawings in Florida and surprisingly, some people have missed that deadline.

In 2023, a Florida Mega Millions jackpot winning ticket worth $36 million expired without being claimed, officials say. It was also a quick pick ticket sold at a Publix. The store was in Jacksonville.

The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday, Aug. 29, with an estimated jackpot of $277 million, with a cash option of approximately $124.6 million.

What to know about Mega Millions

To score the jackpot in Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball. The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 290,472,336.

Tickets cost $5 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Mega Millions ticket worth $3 million sold at a Florida Publix. Here’s where."

MP
Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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