Lottery player turns $20 into life-changing prize in Florida. Where was ticket sold?

A gas station customer decided to buy a $20 lottery ticket, and she ended up winning a $5 million jackpot in Florida.

Helen Matthews bought her lucky Gold Rush Limited scratch-off ticket at a local Murphy USA convenience store in Lake Wales, the Florida Lottery announced March 28.

The 59-year-old Polk County woman beat odds slimmer than 1-in-2.3 million to win one of 32 top prizes of $5 million in the game, which has been running since September 2021, according to lottery records.

Matthews visited Florida Lottery headquarters up in Tallahassee to collect her winnings as a one-time payout of $3,960,000, lottery officials said. The Murphy USA received a $10,000 prize for selling the ticket.

Only one jackpot prize remains in the game, records show.

Lake Wales is a 60-mile drive east from Tampa.

This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Lottery player turns $20 into life-changing prize in Florida. Where was ticket sold?."