Latest news with #40YearsofPlay
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Avid lottery player gets email that leaves her ‘speechless.' She had won big
CORRECTION: The '2nd Chance Bonus Draw' was incorrectly described as a separate game in an earlier version of this story. The corrected story is below. An avid lottery player won big even after her scratch-off was a losing ticket, California officials said. Heidy Felipe, of Pasadena, bought a '40 Years of Play' lottery ticket and although that ticket didn't win, she entered the '40 Years of Play 2nd Chance Bonus Draw,' according to an April 25 news release by the California Lottery. She landed $40,000. The '2nd Chance' game gives players the option to potentially win even if their initial game was a dud by scanning the code on their ticket with their lottery app, officials said. 'When I saw the email, I couldn't believe it,' Felipe told lottery officials. 'The next day, I went to the Lottery office, where they confirmed it was real, and I was speechless.' Although Felipe plays often, this was her first win, officials said. Felipe decided to use the money toward paying off her car and 'now she's just waiting for her title to arrive.' 'It's the best thing that's ever happened to me,' she told officials. Pasadena is about a 10-mile drive northeast from downtown Los Angeles.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California Lottery player thought he won $1K; turns out he actually won $1M
The Brief A California lottery scratchers player thought he had won $1M but actually won $1M. Two Bay Area residents also recently won $1 million prizes from scratcher games. A new scratcher game costs $40 with a chance to win a top prize of $15M. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A California lottery player got a shock of a lifetime when he went to claim what he thought was a $1,000 prize from a winning scratchers ticket. Winner Jeffry Figueroa was overcome with relief, as he planned to use the money to pay his rent. But relief turned to disbelief when he learned his ticket was actually worth $1 million. The backstory Figueroa purchased the Winter Magic Multiplier scratcher from Koko's Liquor in Los Angeles. "I thought I'd won a thousand dollars," he told the California Lottery. He went to claim his prize at the lottery office in Santa Fe Springs in LA County, when he received a most welcome surprise. Lottery officials said, amid his excitement, Figueroa failed to notice the extra three zeros on his scratcher, making him the winner of the game's top prize of $1 million. SEE ALSO: Could you handle a $1,000 emergency expense? Report says most Americans can't What they're saying "When they told me, I was shaking so much I could barely sign the claim form," Figueroa said. He said he was happy with what he thought was a $1,000 win, and was already planning to use it to cover his rent. "It was so surreal. I still can't believe it!" Figueroa said. Local perspective He's not the only scratchers player who recently joined the ranks of the California Lottery's so-called "millionaire's club," officials said. Here in the Bay Area, Fredi Zunun purchased a $1 Million Ultimate Cash! ticket at the 7-Eleven on Miller Avenue in Mill Valley and struck it rich, winning the top prize of $1 million. Lotto officials say also in the North Bay, a winning scratcher ticket was purchased at an Oliver's Market in Santa Rosa. Jaime Boland bought her winning Winter Magic Multiplier scratchers during a grocery shopping outing to Oliver's. Like Figueroa, she also won the top prize of $1 million. What we don't know California Lottery officials announced the winnings on Friday. But it's unclear when the tickets were purchased. "We never know exactly when Scratchers winners make their purchase since the tickets don't get printed out of a gaming computer system like our draw game tickets do," spokesperson Carolyn Becker told KTVU. "It's always fair to assume when we announce Scratchers winners that they bought their tickets at least a month prior, but sometimes it could be several months." Also last week, officials announced a new commemorative scratchers game to mark the lottery's 40-year history. It's the state's first-of-its kind game that offers a $40 option with a chance to win $15 million. Players can also purchase a $2 ticket that could result in a top prize of $40,000. The game is called "40 Years of Play!" and will be available for a limited time. It is the first in a series of new scratchers this year celebrating the California Lottery's 40th anniversary, officials said. "We are excited to kick off 2025 with a new game that gives people a chance to celebrate with us," said state lottery Director Harjinder K. Shergill Chima. "Since we sold our first game in 1985, together with our players and our retail partners, we've raised more than $46 billion to benefit students across California." This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.
