Latest news with #MegaBucks
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
First-time scratch-off player didn't know he won — until grandma saw NC ticket
A man decided to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket for the first time in North Carolina because he had 'seen lots of other people win.' But it wasn't until he showed the ticket to his grandma that he realized he had won himself. Amir Dickerson of Onslow County turned a $5 Mega Bucks ticket into a $200,000 top prize, the North Carolina Education Lottery said July 8. 'I just got lucky,' he told lottery officials. Dickerson bought his ticket at a Shell gas station in Jacksonville, but after he scratched it, the inexperienced lottery player said he didn't realize what he was seeing. 'I actually didn't know that I won at first,' he told lottery officials. 'I gave the ticket to my grandma to look at and she told me I won.' Dickerson's beginner's luck helped him beat the 1-in-1,234,580 odds to win one of nine top prizes in the game, which debuted in August, according to lottery records. 'It was just like shock,' he said. 'I was so happy.' He ended up with $143,501 after taxes and told lottery officials he plans to use the money to help his family. 'I'm just thankful,' Dickerson added. Five top prizes remain in the scratch-off game. Dickerson is from Richlands, which is about a 60-mile drive northeast from Wilmington.
Miami Herald
24-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Lottery player hits $5 million jackpot in Texas. Where was winning ticket sold?
A lottery player recently won a life-changing prize in the Texas Hill Country, according to lottery officials. The Boerne resident bought a $400 Million Mega Bucks ticket and scratched it off to reveal they won a $5 million jackpot, the state lottery said in a June 23 news release. The lucky winner, who chose to be anonymous, bought the ticket at 1415 E. Blanco Road in Boerne, the release said. A Metro Stop gas station is at that address. There are four $5 million top prizes available in the game, and the Boerne resident is the second to win, meaning two remain. According to the lottery, the odds of hitting one of the jackpots are 1-in-1,290,000, though there are also prizes ranging from $150 to $50,000. Boerne is a roughly 30-mile drive northwest from San Antonio.
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Man buys scratch-off tickets while on walk — and now he plans a major life change
A Maryland man stopped for lottery tickets while on a walk and won 'enough to make some major changes in his life,' Maryland Lottery officials. Ramiro Polanco Mendez, from Laurel, plans to invest his $50,000 windfall in opening a business, lottery officials said in a June 18 news release. He bought a pair of Mega Bucks tickets at a gas station in Laurel while on a stroll, according to lottery officials. The first $10 scratch-off didn't yield winnings, but the other was a different story. 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing,' the lucky lottery player told officials. 'I had to scan it to be sure.' The scanner confirmed the good news, according to lottery officials, who said Polanco Mendez 'is ready for a new start' following the win. Laurel is about a 20-mile drive southwest from Baltimore.
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
'This can't be real:' Classic car collector wins $2 million from $20 scratch-off
'This can't be real:' Classic car collector wins $2 million from $20 scratch-off Show Caption Hide Caption Mega Millions: Big changes coming to lottery Officials with the lottery drawing say prices for a Mega Millions ticket will be going up, but they also say the tradeoff for the higher prices will be larger jackpots. Fox - 10 Phoenix A classic car collector from Illinois was able to turn a $2 million profit from a scratch-off. The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, stepped up to claim the prize on May 5, telling state lottery officials he purchased the $20 Mega Bucks ticket on a whim. "It was a typical morning like any other – until it wasn't," he told the Illinois Lottery. "I was on my way to work and I stopped at a gas station to buy a cup of coffee. At the checkout, I decided to grab a scratch-off lottery ticket, too – a purple one lit up on the screen at the exact second I looked at it, so I said, 'I'll take that one.'" The winner, who was in disbelief after he scratched off the ticket numbers, returned to the convenience store to scan the ticket "just to be sure." He still couldn't believe his luck, even after the machine came to the same conclusion. "As more and more zeroes started to appear, and then the final $2,000,000, I just couldn't believe it. I kept staring at the ticket, thinking, there's no way… this can't be real," he said. "I must've been standing there for a while because the clerk came over and asked if something was wrong, so I showed her the ticket – she put on her glasses, took one look, and screamed." Winner plans to use prize money to buy land, another vintage car All the classic car collector could think about was racing home to tell his wife, who nearly fainted when she heard the news. "But when I did, she looked at me like I was nuts! I kept saying, 'I just won two million dollars!' and at one point I thought she was going to faint," he told state lottery officials. The winner plans to use the prize money to add another "beauty" to his classic car collection and buy a few acres of land to store it there "for whenever he wants to take a joyride." The owners of Lenny's Gas N Wash in Shorewood, a suburb about 45 miles southwest of Chicago, were also able to bask in the glory of the win, as they received $20,000 for selling the winning scratch-off ticket. More: Texas Lottery Commission head resigns amid state investigations into controversial wins Where can I buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). for full terms. Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY
CBS News
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Man turns $20 into $2M after purchasing scratch-off ticket at Shorewood gas station
A man is celebrating after winning $2 million after purchasing a scratch-off ticket at a gas station in Shorewood, Illinois. The player, nicknamed "Classic Car Collector," purchased a $20 Mega Bucks ticket at Lenny's Gas N Wash at 1201 W. Jefferson Street. Shorewood is a suburb about 45 miles southwest of Chicago. The player said he was on his way to work when he stopped at the gas station to buy coffee and decided to buy the ticket at the checkout counter. The ticket's purple color displayed on the screen, and he decided to buy it. He was in shock after scratching the ticket inside his car. "As more and more zeroes started to appear, and then the final $2,000,000, I just couldn't believe it. I kept staring at the ticket, thinking, there's no way… this can't be real," he said. "I went back into the store and scanned the ticket just to be sure." The player said even his wife didn't believe him at first. "My first thought was, 'I've got to get home and tell my wife!' But when I did, she looked at me like I was nuts! I kept saying, 'I just won two million dollars!' and at one point I thought she was going to faint." Lottery officials said the player won the top prize on the new game launched on April 1. What does he plan to do with his winnings? "Collecting classic cars has been a longtime hobby of mine – I've been fortunate enough to own a few over the years. I like working on them, but even more, I love driving them. With this win, I'd like to buy a few acres of land, add another beauty to my collection, and store it there for whenever I want to take a joyride," he said. The gas station will receive a bonus of $20,000 for selling the ticket. In December 2023, the station also sold a Mega Millions ticket worth $2 million.
