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Lucky lottery player wins life-changing prize from $5 scratch-off in Florida

A lucky lottery player hit a huge jackpot in Florida, lottery officials said.
A lucky lottery player hit a huge jackpot in Florida, lottery officials said. Unsplash/Girogio Trovato

A Florida lottery player scored a life-changing jackpot prize from a ticket he bought for $5, lottery officials said.

Benjamin Ramirez Gomez, 31, won a $1 million top prize in the Loteria Grande scratch-off game, the Florida Lottery said in an April 30 news release.

He purchased the winning ticket from a 7-Eleven in Cape Coral, about a 10-mile drive west from Fort Myers, lottery officials said.

The odds of winning the Loteria Grande jackpot are 1 in 3,035,560, according to the game’s web page. The overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.97.

One out of six top prizes remains in the game, which started in April 2024, lottery officials said.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Lucky lottery player wins life-changing prize from $5 scratch-off in Florida."

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Natalie Demaree
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Natalie Demaree is a service journalism reporter covering Mississippi for McClatchy Media. She holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science with a specialization in African and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas. 
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