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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County man is a millionaire after striking gold and winning a $1 million prize from the GOLD RUSH LIMITED scratch-off game from the Florida Lottery.
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Efren Villamar Herrera, of Orlando, claimed the $1 million prize after purchasing his ticket from the Wawa located at 3100 South Orange Avenue.
The 56-year-old chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $795,000.
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The store that sold the winning ticket received a $2,000 bonus commission.
The $20 game features 32 top prizes of $5 million and 100 prizes of $1 million, with additional tickets filled with more than 33,000 prizes of $1,000 to $100,000.
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Scratch-off games made up 74% of ticket sales in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Since their inception, scratch-off games have awarded more than $63.1 billion in prizes, created 2,175 millionaires, and generated more than $19.24 billion for the Education Enhancement Trust Fund.
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The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $46 billion to enhance education and sending more than 983,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $95.7 billion in prizes and made more than 4,000 people millionaires, according to lottery officials.
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Scratch-off Games: A Lucrative Opportunity
With the recent news of Efren Villamar Herrera winning $1 million from a scratch-off game in Florida, it highlights the lucrative opportunities these games present. The chance to win substantial prizes attracts many participants, contributing significantly to the revenue generated by the Florida Lottery.
Educational Contributions
It’s noteworthy that the Florida Lottery plays a crucial role in supporting education in the state. The substantial contributions made to enhance education and provide scholarships demonstrate how the organization positively impacts the community beyond just awarding prizes.
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