Mega Millions player wins $800 million jackpot with ticket bought at Texas gas station

A Texas Mega Millions player has won an estimated prize of $800 million, according to the lottery game.

The player, who has not been identified, was the first person to match all six numbers drawn since June. The winning ticket was sold at a Murphy USA convenience store and gas station in Sugar Land, Texas. The player chose a Quick Pick ticket, where a computer picks the numbers. 

The winning numbers were white balls 1, 2, 16, 24 and 66, and the gold Mega Ball 6. 

The Texas winner elected to take home a lump sum at the time of the ticket purchase, the Texas Lottery said in a news release. The lump sum is estimated to be $404.2 million, before taxes. 

The player has 180 days from the draw date to claim the prize. The retailer who sold the ticket is eligible for a $1 million bonus, the Texas Lottery said. 

It’s just the third Mega Millions jackpot win of 2024. A New Jersey player won $1.128 billion in March, and an Illinois player took home $552 million in June. 

This is the 15th Mega Millions jackpot won in Texas, according to the lottery game, and the largest lottery jackpot prize won in the state, according to the Texas Lottery. 

“We are beyond thrilled to celebrate Texas’ largest-ever jackpot winner and can’t wait to meet and congratulate them in person,” said Ryan Mindell, executive director of the Texas Lottery. “If you’re the lucky holder of the winning ticket, be sure to sign it, secure it in a safe place, consult financial and legal advisors and then contact the Texas Lottery before making your way to Austin to claim the prize.”

The $800 million grand prize isn’t the only sum that was awarded. Four tickets matched the five white numbers drawn. Each of those players win the game’s $1 million second-tier prize. Each second-tier winner purchased their ticket in a different state, with winning tickets sold in California, Florida, New York and Washington. 

Another 47 players took home the game’s third-tier prize for matching four white balls and the Mega Ball. Ten of those players had paid an extra $1 to add a Megaplier to their ticket, so they won $40,000. The remaining 37 players will each take home $10,000 each. 

The next Mega Millions drawing will be on Friday, Sept. 13. The prize will reset to its current starting value of $20 million, the lottery said. 

Friday the 13th may seem like an unlucky day, but seven Mega Millions jackpots have been won on the date, according to the lottery game. That includes a massive $1.348 billion prize won in Maine on Jan. 13, 2023.