Lucky Man Was All Smiles After He Turned USD 5 Into A USD 2.4 Million Lottery Prize

By Georgina JеdikovskaLotteryOct 18, 2023

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A lucky man in the USA has become a millionaire after he won USD 2.4 million on a lottery scratchcard he bought for USD 5.

Gary Thomas, 49, poses with his prize winning check in an updated photo. He claimed a top prize from the USD 150,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE Scratch-Off and chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of USD 2,440,000 (GBP 2,003,667). (Florida Lottery/Newsflash)

Gary Thomas, 49, from the city of Dothan, Alabama State, USA, was shocked when he uncovered the top prize on Florida Lottery’s ‘USD 150,000 a year for life’ game.

The lucky winner said he was all smiles when he saw the oversized check and said in a statement obtained by Newsflash from Florida Lottery: “It’s still sinking in. I couldn’t believe it! I still can’t believe it!”

Thomas reportedly bought the winning ticket at the Lotto Discount Liquor in the town of Campbellton, Florida State.

At lottery headquarters in the city of Tallahassee, Thomas chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment and went home with USD 2.44 million (GBP 2 million).

Florida Lottery said: “The retailer will receive a USD 4,000 [GBP 3,284] bonus commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.”

Picture shows the Lotto Discount Liquor, where the winning ticket was purchased in Campbellton, Florida, USA, undated. Gary Thomas, 49, claimed a top prize from the USD 150,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE Scratch-Off and chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of USD 2,440,000 (GBP 2,003,667). (Google Maps/Newsflash)

They continued: “The USD 5 [GBP 4] Scratch-Off game, ‘USD 150,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE’ will create a lifetime of memories with more than 9.5 million winning tickets and USD 132.6 million [GBP 108.8 million] in cash prizes including four top prizes of USD 150,000 [GBP 123,169] a year for life!

“The overall odds are 1-in-3.95.

“Scratch-off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 72 percent of ticket sales in fiscal year 2022-2023.

“Since inception, Scratch-Off games have generated more than USD 18.09 billion [GBP 14.85 billion] for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).”