Current:Home > reviewsCalifornia man wins $10 million after letting cashier choose his scratch-off ticket -Edge Finance Strategies
California man wins $10 million after letting cashier choose his scratch-off ticket
View
Date:2025-04-13 07:52:07
A California man walked out of a store holding a $10 million lottery ticket, thanks to a clerk's recommendation after he couldn't decide which scratch-off ticket to buy.
Brent Young won his $10 million from the California 200X $30 instant game. He bought the winning ticket at Prince Food & Gas on West Walnut Avenue in Visalia.
Young had no idea which game would give him the best chance of winning. Feeling indecisive, he asked the clerk for help in picking a ticket.
It can be challenging for players to choose from over two dozen scratch-off games the California Lottery offers. The clerk picked out a ticket from the $30 instant game California 200X.
After paying for his gas and lottery ticket, Young got to work scratching. As he was about halfway through, he noticed that one of his numbers matched the winning numbers printed on the side of the ticket. There was no mistaking it - the prize amount of $10,000,000 was printed in bold font.
"When I saw all those zeros, I was like, 'No way, this doesn't happen to people like me,'" Young told the Lottery. "It's crazy. Out of all those options, the clerk could have picked a different game, but he didn't. He grabbed a winner."
Young was surprised to find himself at this particular retailer. He typically purchased fuel and lottery tickets at a different gas station. However, on that day, the other gas station was closed, so he had to stop at Prince Food & Gas instead.
"It's almost like God's intervention," Young told the Lottery. "I didn't have a specific ticket I was going to buy, so I let someone else decide. I had no choice but to go to Prince's. My usual stop was closed. If it had been open, none of this probably would have happened."
After federal taxes, he chose to receive the $5.8 million lump sum prize, and the owner of Prince Food & Gas received a $50,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
What is California 200X?
California 200X is a California-exclusive instant game where players can win up to $10 million.
After Young won the top prize, four out of nine $10 million prizes remain in the $30 California 200X game. Additionally, nine out of 18 $750,000 second-tier prizes and 40 out of 92 $50,000 third-tier prizes, remain.
More:New York woman comes forward to claim $12 million prize from a 1991 jackpot, largest in state history
What are the odds of winning California 200X?
The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 2.71. The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 3,041,187.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.
veryGood! (828)
Related
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Jury hears testimony in trial of officers charged in Manuel Ellis' death
- Bob Menendez's wife hit and killed a man while driving in New Jersey town in 2018
- NFL releases adaptive and assisted apparel, first pro sports league to do so
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Trump lawyers seek dismissal of DC federal election subversion case, arguing presidential immunity
- Pennsylvania House votes to criminalize animal sedative while keeping it available to veterinarians
- Nearly 4 million people in Lebanon need humanitarian help but less than half receive aid, UN says
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Southern Charm: Shep Rose & Austen Kroll Finally Face Off Over Taylor Ann Green Hookup Rumor
Ranking
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Baltimore police ask for help IDing ‘persons of interest’ seen in video in Morgan State shooting
- Indonesia’s agriculture minister resigns amid a corruption investigation
- More than 70 million candy rollerballs recalled after 7-year-old girl choked to death
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Southern Charm: Shep Rose & Austen Kroll Finally Face Off Over Taylor Ann Green Hookup Rumor
- Dominican authorities are searching for caretaker after bodies of 6 newborns are found near cemetery
- Your or you're? State Fair of Texas corrects typo on fair welcome sign
Recommendation
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
U.S. F-16 fighter jet shoots down an armed Turkish drone over Syria
U.S. to restart deportations to Venezuela in effort to reduce record border arrivals
Tom Holland and Zendaya’s Latest Photos Are Paw-sitively Adorable
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
2 divers found dead hours apart off Massachusetts beach
Suspect in helmeted motorcyclist’s stomping of car window in Philadelphia is jailed on $2.5M bail
Washington state governor requests federal aid for survivors of August wildfires