TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Lottery last week held the grand prize drawing in the $600 Million High Roller Scratch-Off game, awarding one lucky winner the $20 million grand prize.
Patricia Howell, 55, of Jacksonville, claimed her prize at Lottery headquarters on Sept. 16; she chose the one-time, lump-sum payment for her winnings in the amount of $15,051,167.49.
Howell has been a fan of the Florida Lottery for years and she frequently purchases tickets. Her first big win was when she won $1,000 in the $600 Million High Roller Scratch-Off game.
Howell purchased her winning ticket at Stockton BP located at 643 Stockton Street in Jacksonville, and claimed her original winnings on May 7, 2008.
Lottery players who redeemed prizes of $1,000 or $20,000 in the $600 Million High Roller game were automatically entered in the $20 million grand prize drawing, which was scheduled to take place once the game ended to allow for the greatest number of entries. A total of 9,117 previous winners were entered in the grand prize drawing; 991 winners of $20,000 and 8,126 winners of $1,000.
Howell said that when she first claimed her $1,000 prize and was told that she would be automatically entered into the grand prize drawing, she just had a feeling she was going to win. She plans to use her winnings to help her family, travel around, and buy a brand new car.
The $600 Million High Roller game, the first and only $30 Scratch-Off offered by the Florida Lottery, launched on January 21, 2008, in celebration of the Lottery's 20th anniversary. With overall odds of one-in-2.43 and more than $600 million in cash prizes, at launch, the game offered the best odds of winning and highest prize payout of any Lottery game to date. The $600 Million High Roller game included 20 top prizes of $1 million, more than 2,000 prizes of $20,000 and more than 19,000 prizes of $1,000.
I've said this before (and gotten beaten up for it) but I'll say it again anyway: I would have rather seen ten - $2million winners than one - $20 million winner. (Yes, I know there were 20 - $1 million prizes too).
Just my opinion and I wish Patricia Howell the best.
The crazy part is, this game ended early, with several $1 Million dollars winning tickets remaining. It was a big money maker for the state and I'm not sure why they ended it early
regardless this lady is from my town and congrats.
Imagin getting the call 2 years later. "hello this is lotto office, you just won $20 million"
I'm with you on it ridge,I would like to see something like that here too...have several 50 thousand dollar winners,I will be in to win.Looking for a single grand prize is wasting my time.
Wow, Florida not having state taxes on lottery is actually a good thing eh?
She kept more than 1/3 of the jackpot. They would never let that fly in Massachusetts
hahaha gotta love Massachusetts, have a good one
I have it on good authority that you can evade a huge amount of taxes if you hide your yacht in Rhode Island.
yep, in FL winners fork over 25% . Unless its annuity over 20 yrs and winner decides to take cash option. So she took the cash option of $15 mill and then she will pay 25% off that in taxes. She will end up with around $11,250,000.00
hahaha yeah you can, but you got to be a big shot but not small fry like me.
They read from the book called "do as I say not as I do"
Gotta love John Kerry and his love for taxing other people
Wow! you guys never miss a chance to take sucker punches at the Democrats.
Louise, John Kerry writes those laws taxing the life and breath out of everybody and then tries to avoid paying them himself.
His wife bought him the $9 million dollar yacht.
The least he can do is pay the taxes he owes on it.
I feel terrible that he got caught trying to evade taxes, the poor guy.
I just feel absolutely terrible. 
The Florida Lottery sometimes makes me wish I lived in another state.
How about having a drawing for the 20 million for all the people who DIDN'T win with their scratch-offs???
I won't even get into their refusal to join Mega Millions.
AARRRGGGHH!! ME ANGRY!!!
I agree, but I think that should also apply to huge jackpot prizes as well. Instead of one winner of 260,000,000, how about 10 of 26 or 20 of 13?
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Howell said that when she first claimed her $1,000 prize and was told that she would be automatically entered into the grand prize drawing, she just had a feeling she was going to win.
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wish i had that sort of feeling before i ante up my $20 for the scratchers
I sometimes get a "feeling" and sometimes my left palm itches......maybe it's time to take another bath......beaudad....