Mega Millions jackpot winner: Virginia ticket wins $348 million prize
- - - Mega Millions jackpot winner: Virginia ticket wins $348 million prize
Mike Snider, USA TODAYJune 28, 2025 at 9:36 PM
A lucky Mega Millions player has won the largest lottery prize ever awarded in Virginia.
The ticket matched all six numbers in the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, June 27, to win the jackpot worth an estimated $348 million, or a cash option of $155.5 million.
Virginia Lottery officials have not yet announced where the ticket was bought or whether it was bought at a retail location or online.
The ticket, which matched winning numbers 18-21-29-42-50, and the Mega Ball number 2 – is the largest prize ever won in any Virginia Lottery game, according to the Virginia Lottery. The winner has 180 days to claim the prize.
The public may never know who actually won because a Virginia law that takes effect July 1 allows those who win prizes of $1 million or more to claim prizes anonymously. If given permission, the Virginia Lottery will release the winner's name and hometown and may release publicity photos.
Mega Millions gets another winner after jackpot and odds increased
This is the fourth Mega Millions jackpot won in 2025 and nearly matches a $349 million jackpot won in Illinois on March 25, according to Mega Millions. That win occurred on the same day that Mega Millions announced a mega overhaul, raising tickets from $2 to $5 and a starting jackpot of $50 million, up from $20 million.
The changes also included better odds – although still a long shot – of 1 in 290,472,336, compared to 1 in 302,575,350, according to Mega Millions. The odds of winning any Mega Millions prize increased to 1 in 23, compared to 1 in 24.
Soon after the lottery changes went into effect, a winning ticket for $112 million was sold in Ohio. A lucky ticket sold in Arizona claimed a $112 million jackpot January 17.
The jackpot now resets to $50 million ($22.4 million cash option) for the next drawing on Tuesday, July 1.
How do you play the Mega Millions?
To play the Mega Millions, you can buy a ticket at a variety of locations, including convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores. In some states, you can buy tickets online, too.
Once you have a ticket, pick six numbers. Five of the numbers will be white balls with numbers from 1-70. The gold Mega Balls will range from 1-24 in the new game, where they previously ranged from 1-25.
You can also let the computer randomly generate picks for you; just ask for a "Quick Play" or an "Easy Pick."
Where can you buy Mega Millions tickets?
Mega Millions tickets can be purchased in person at local gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes and Greta Cross
Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected]
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mega Millions jackpot winner is a ticket sold in Virginia
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