A crossword puzzle just won this woman a life-changing lottery prize in Florida

A crossword puzzle game in the Florida Lottery just won a woman the kind of cash that lets people quit their jobs.

Belinda Dozier of Sanford didn’t spell out her future plans, but the prize amounted to $1 million, according the Florida Lottery.

Dozier won the jackpot playing the “word-themed” Bonus Letter Crossword game, which calls for players to scratch the card to spell out words with matching letters.

Jackpot winners face a tough choice of collecting their money all at once — after state and federal taxes are taken out — or getting payments spread out.

“Dozier chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $640,000,” lottery officials said in a Dec. 30 news release.

Jackpots are won only after a player matches 10 words on a single card, and the odds of doing it are 1-in-2,241,660

Dozier bought the $5 ticket at Upsala Grocery in Sanford, and the store got a “$2,000 bonus commission” for selling the ticket.

Sanford is about a 27-mile drive north from Orlando.

This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 12:20 PM with the headline "A crossword puzzle just won this woman a life-changing lottery prize in Florida."