Virginia Wins Big in Mega Millions Drawing

A player from Virginia has won the largest Mega Millions jackpot in the state’s history, claiming a staggering $348 million prize on Friday night. This victory ended a 20-draw streak without a jackpot winner and marks the first major win since the game was redesigned in April.

The winning ticket was purchased at the E & C VA convenience store in Burgess, located approximately 85 miles northeast of Richmond. The winning numbers were 18, 21, 29, 42, and 50, with the Mega Ball being 2.

The odds of hitting the jackpot were an extraordinary 1 in 290,472,336. The winner has the option to receive the prize as either a $348 million lump sum (before taxes) paid over 30 years or a one-time cash payment of roughly $155.5 million. The deadline to claim the prize is 180 days.

The previous record for Mega Millions in Virginia was held by retired truck driver JR Triplett, who won $239 million in 2004. He opted for a lump sum of $140 million before taxes. Since the game’s inception in 2002, Virginia has produced ten winners, with the most recent before this one sharing a $15 million jackpot in July 2016.

The current game revision, introduced in April 2025, offered larger starting jackpots of $50 million (up from $20 million), increased ticket prices from $2 to $5, and improved odds for non-jackpot prizes. Notably, this is the fourth jackpot won in 2025, with the previous one being a $112 million prize in Oregon and another $349 million in Illinois earlier this year.

In December 2024, a ticket purchased in Cottonwood, California, won $1.269 billion, the largest jackpot of 2024 and one of the highest in Mega Millions history.