By Kate Northrop
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Don't quit, not quite!
A player from Virginia is glad she didn't stop playing the lottery too early after she won $1 million from a scratch-off ticket that was supposed to be her last.
Latasha Tucker of Lynchburg made the million-dollar decision to play the lottery just one last time before quitting for good.
On her way home form work, she purchased a ticket from the "20X the Money" game for $10 at Quik-E Food Store & Fried Chicken on Lakeside Drive in Lynchburg and won the $1 million top prize.
"It's just surreal!" she exclaimed while claiming her prize. "It hasn't hit me yet!"
Tucker said that this was originally supposed to be the last time she would ever play the lottery since she hadn't won anything. According to the Virginia Lottery, she was in no hurry to scratch off the ticket because she "knew nothing was going to be on there."
Fortunately for her, she was mistaken. The once unlucky player became the very first top prize winner in the game, which was released on Jan. 5, 2021. Following her win, there are three top prizes of $1 million remaining. The odds of winning a top prize in the game are about 1 in 1.2 million.
The game also offers six second prizes of $10,000, none of which have been won yet, and ten third prizes of $5,000, of which one has been claimed.
Upon claiming her prize, Tucker had the option of either taking the full $1 million prize over 30 annual payments or a lump sum cash option of $602,410 before taxes. She went with the cash option.
The Quik-E Food Store & Fried Chicken will receive a $10,000 commission for selling the winning ticket.
While this was supposed to be the last time Tucker ever played the lottery, there's a chance the win could change her mind, but we won't know for sure.
Quit while you're ahead!
And upon learning the exciting news she bought 1 million worth of scratch offs. Sadly they were all losers.
"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!"
Nice win!-weshar75
Congratulations on her big win!
First thing that came to mind is Drew Carey on TPIR. The game where they have the price of a car close to the actual price and contestant says the name of the game...."That's too much". Most contestants say one more and Drew says they always say that! Same with her...just one more (ticket)!
The last time l tried to pull that off mentally, it didn't work, so l am back chasing those elusive millions.
* Good for her though.
Kentucky Lottery's "1-OFF" game has two more drawings and on Sunday, lots of players will be playing it for "last time". Maybe because it's a very strange game;didn't match a digit tonight and won $32.
LOL!!!!! That's pretty good! I'm sure she'll play again. 600,000 after taxes does give you peace of mind though!
s5thomps , no, sadly, the amount is $602k before Income Taxes withdrawn.
Do you know how many times I've "sworn off for good this time!" with regard to buying lottery tickets??
Me neither because it's more than I can count.
Although I do have to say that she was very smart buying the ticket she bought. "The odds of winning a top prize in the game are about 1 in 1.2 million."
In Lottery-Land those are some pretty decent odds. G5