A Grafton, Ohio man instantly turned a $5 investment into $1 million at an Ohio gas station and convenience store on Sunday morning.
Rodney Coker, 44, who has worked as a crane operator at Elyria Foundry Co. for more than 20 years, won $1 million in the Ohio Lottery's Thanks a Million instant scratch-off game.
"It was cardiac arrest," Coker said yesterday.
Coker comes into the Citgo at 879 Main St. in Grafton about twice a day, store owner Hazel Rowe said, adding that he "just walked in, bought the ticket and won."
Rowe said she was surprised to see Coker as calm as he was for having just won $1 million.
"Amazingly, he was pretty calm about it," said Rowe. "He asked me if it was a winning ticket, and I ran it through the machine."
Rowe said her store doesn't get anything for selling a winning ticket in an instant game.
Coker turned in the ticket at the Ohio Lottery Commission regional office in Lorain yesterday, according to an Ohio Lottery news release.
After mandatory federal and state withholding taxes totaling 28.5 percent, Coker will receive a lump sum check for $715,000, the release said.
Coker, who said he had been married three times but is single now, plans to help his mother fix up her house and buy a new truck.
His mother, Virginia, was overjoyed.
"He's had a lot of bad luck in his life," she said. "It's about time he's had some good luck. ... He'll probably have friends he never knew he had."
Thanks a Million tickets began being sold Jan. 16, according to the release. The game has an 81 percent payout, the highest in the history of any Ohio Lottery instant game.
There still are two more $1 million tickets and other prizes available from the Thanks a Million game, according to the Ohio Lottery.
It is ABOUT TIME that a state has a game that has a payout that makes it worthwhile to play. What a great way to use extra money or unclaimed prizes, by jacking up the payback on a game. I am sick and tired of these games that payback 40%-55%. I know the higher scratch off games go as high as 70% but how bout a lotto game with that sort of payback. Does anyone know of any?
Respectfully, I disagree. While as a player it may seem great to have paybacks in the 70-80% range, that is not the intended purpose of the state lottery games. The lottery generates money for worthwhile state programs. In the case of Pennsylvania the money goes to benefit senior citizens.
For the large jackpot games a mix of 50% for the state programs, and 50% for the players seems to be about right.
The lottery, in a way is a voluntary tax. You know ahead of time the game odds. You know where the profits are going. If you don't like any of the above, just don't play.
It is ABOUT TIME that a state has a game that has a payout that makes it worthwhile to play. What a great way to use extra money or unclaimed prizes, by jacking up the payback on a game. I am sick and tired of these games that payback 40%-55%. I know the higher scratch off games go as high as 70% but how bout a lotto game with that sort of payback. Does anyone know of any?
NY needs games like this ($1 million LUMP SUM)!!
Great game, for a change!
Respectfully, I disagree. While as a player it may seem great to have paybacks in the 70-80% range, that is not the intended purpose of the state lottery games. The lottery generates money for worthwhile state programs. In the case of Pennsylvania the money goes to benefit senior citizens.
For the large jackpot games a mix of 50% for the state programs, and 50% for the players seems to be about right.
The lottery, in a way is a voluntary tax. You know ahead of time the game odds. You know where the profits are going. If you don't like any of the above, just don't play.
Chas