Mega Millions player narrowly misses $344M jackpot — but still wins big in Florida

Miami Herald

26-03-2025

A Mega Millions player narrowly missed a $344 million prize — but is still in for a big windfall in Florida.
The player bought a ticket that matched all but one number picked in the March 25 drawing, making it worth $1 million, results show.
The winning numbers: white balls 1-5-17-39-62, with gold Mega Ball 8.
The lucky ticket matched all of the white balls to win big. It was sold at Oak & Stockton Corner, a convenience store in Jacksonville, the Florida Lottery wrote on its website and in a news release.
In Florida, Mega Millions tickets start at $2. The player tried their luck on the Quick Pick option, meaning a machine randomly chose at least some of the ticket numbers.
The winner was one number from scoring the jackpot prize, which stood at an estimated $344 million. Instead, a player who bought a ticket in Illinois was the only person in the country to hit the jackpot the night of the drawing, according to the Mega Millions website.
As of early March 26, the Florida Lottery on its website didn't say whether the $1 million prize had been claimed. In the Sunshine State, Mega Millions winners have about six months to cash in, rules show.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score the jackpot in the 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 302,575,350.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state. Officials have announced they will cost $5 starting in April.
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.