SUMTER COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – A Sumter County man has a lot to smile about after winning $1 million from a scratch-off game.
According to Florida Lottery officials, 66-year-old Michael Nelson claimed his prize at the Lottery District Office in Tampa on Wednesday, Aug 23.
The odds of winning the $1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR game is 1-in-4.50. Nelson’s ticket purchased at a Circle K in The Villages just happened to be one of them. The lucky winner chose to receive his prize as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $640,000. The Circle K will also receive a $2,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
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The scratch-off game launched in February costs $50. It has two top prizes of $1 million a year for life and 234 prizes of $1 million.
By the Numbers
According to lottery officials, scratch-off games have produced more than $17 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.
Here are more stats:
- Responsible for contributing more than $44 billion to enhance education
- Sent more than 950,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program
- Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $87.5 billion in prizes
- Made more than 3,500 people millionaires