A retired racetrack cashier from Glendale, Arizona, had trouble reining in her excitement when she realized her Lucky Life Scratcher had won her $2,500 a week for the next 20 years.
Winnie Price bought three of the $5 scratch-off tickets while she and her sister were out shopping for groceries at their local Fry's Food & Drug store. She got the tickets out of a vending machine and got to work scratching them while her sister busied herself with the groceries.
When Price discovered she'd pulled off a big win she called her sister over and they went in search of a clerk to double-check the ticket. The clerk took one look at the ticket and told her she'd better sign it straight away.
Price chose to take her prize as a lump sum instead of the annuity payments. She will receive $1.69 million before taxes and plans to share her good luck with family members and buy herself a new car.
Sales of Arizona Lottery products generate nearly $3.4 million each week and the lottery has paid out over $5.4 billion in prizes since July 1981.
Arizona Lottery representative Karen Bach said: "Lucky Life has been extremely popular with our players, since each price point offers the highest top prizes ever for Scratchers tickets in Arizona, and they also include a Second Chance Drawing."
Second chance drawings are available for Lucky Life and Get Lucky! scratch-off tickets and provide losers with a chance to win prizes from $100 up to $100,000.
