POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A Polk County man is a millionaire after winning a $1 million top prize from the SEVEN FIGURES scratch-off game form the Florida Lottery.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
Carlos Cole, Sr. claimed the $1 million dollar prize after purchasing his ticket from the Publix, located at 6031 Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven.
The 53-year-old chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump-sum payment of $695,000.
Read: Study finds excessive heat increases number of work-related injuries
The store that sold the winning ticket received a $2,000 bonus commission.
The $5 money-themed ticket features more than 5.8 million winning tickets, with a top prize of $1 million offers more than $79.5 million in total cash prizes.
Read: Florida reports record-breaking tourism numbers in 2023
Scratch-off games made up 72% of ticket sales in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
Since their inception, scratch-off games have generated more than $18.95 billion for the Education Enhancement Trust Fund and 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.
Read: LEGOLAND Florida Brick Party returns this summer
Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $91.2 billion in prizes and made more than 3,800 people millionaires, according to lottery officials.
This browser does not support the video element.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.