The Florida Lottery announced that Albert Pike, 67, of St. Petersburg, claimed a $1 million top prize from THE FASTEST ROAD TO $1,000,000 Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $790,000.00.
Before winning, Pike was facing some tough decisions for how best to take care of his family. ”When I got home and saw the winning numbers, I couldn’t believe it. I knew right then that I wouldn’t have to worry about how to pay for the things we need,” he said.
Pike purchased his winning ticket from Publix, located at 1075 Pasadena Avenue South in South Pasadena. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $30 game, THE FASTEST ROAD TO $1,000,000, launched in February and features 155 top prizes of $1,000,000 and over $948 million in cash prizes! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-2.79.
Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 75 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $1 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2019-20.
Florida Lottery offices are currently open to the public by appointment only for players with prizes valued at $600 or more. Players can request a claim appointment at Headquarters and district offices through the Lottery’s website, at www.flalottery.com/howToClaim. Players can still utilize the secured drop box located at each district office or mail tickets to Florida Lottery Headquarters or a district office.
The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $38 billion to education and sending more than 880,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Lottery retailers, and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $72.5 billion in prizes and made nearly 3,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.3