Lottery player ‘all smiles’ after life-changing jackpot win on Florida scratch-off game
An Alabama man was shocked by his good fortune after he turned $5 into a life-changing lottery win.
“I couldn’t believe it!” Gary Thomas of Dothan told the Florida Lottery of his more than $2 million win. “I still can’t believe it!”
Thomas bought the winning $150,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE scratch-off at a liquor store in Campbellton, near the Alabama border, lottery officials said in an Oct. 16 news release. He made the nearly two-hour trek to Tallahassee to claim his prize.
According to officials, Thomas was “all smiles” when he saw the hefty check.
The Alabama man opted for a one-time payment of $2.44 million, the release said. He stopped short of saying how he plans to spend his winnings, however.
Thomas beat odds of 1 in 9,656,910 to win one of the game’s four jackpot prizes, according to the Florida Lottery. Now, three top prizes remain in the $150,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE scratch-off game.
Campbellton is about 80 miles northwest of Tallahassee.
This story was originally published October 18, 2023 at 9:55 AM with the headline "Lottery player ‘all smiles’ after life-changing jackpot win on Florida scratch-off game."