A trip to the local gas station just changed everything for one Thonotosassa resident. The Florida Lottery confirmed this week that 53-year-old Wendell Jackson has officially joined the state’s growing list of millionaires after hitting it big on a popular scratch-off ticket.
Jackson claimed a $1 million prize from the 500X THE CASH game at the Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on December 19.
Rather than opting for an annuity, Jackson decided to take home his winnings as a single, lump-sum payment of $640,000.00. The winning ticket was sold at the 301 Petrol Mart, located at 11511 U.S. Highway 301 N. in Thonotosassa.
The game Jackson played, 500X THE CASH, carries a $50 price tag but offers some of the largest payouts in the state, including a top prize of $25 million. According to lottery officials, the game features more than $1.66 billion in total cash prizes with overall odds of winning sitting at 1-in-4.23.
READ: Florida Man Turns Five Dollars Into $584,000 Cash From Lottery Scratch-Off
While individual wins like Jackson’s often grab the spotlight, the Florida Lottery noted that these games play a significant role in funding state programs. Since its inception in 1988, the organization has generated over $50 billion for education initiatives.
This includes funding the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, which has sent more than one million students to various Florida colleges, universities, and technical schools.
The Lottery reports that it reinvests 99 percent of its total revenue back into the state’s economy. This is handled through prize payouts, commissions to a network of more than 13,600 retailers, and direct transfers to the education fund.
Jackson is now one of more than 4,475 people who have become millionaires through the Florida Lottery, which has paid out a staggering $104.8 billion in total prizes over the last 38 years.
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