News writer
A homeless man in San Luis Obispo, California, claimed a $1 million win on a California Lottery scratch-off ticket on Friday, according to KSBY. If confirmed, it will transforrm the lives of he and his wife, who have been living on the streets in the area together.
From homeless to millionaire in an instant
The man, who has not been publicly named, bought a winning ticket for the scratch-off game Triple Red 777 at Sandy's Liquor, according to the retailer's Instagram.
“Big congrats to our loyal customer on his $1 million jackpot-winning scratch ticket at Sandy's,” stated the post caption.
According to Cal Coastal News, the store's owner, Wilson Samaan, regularly trusted the winner to watch the front of the store when Samaan was needed in the back. The winner had been a loyal customer for 12 years, Samaan said.
The winner told KSBY that he would spend his winnings on a down payment for a home and a car. The rest would be squirreled away in savings.
Well-liked by local business owners
According to KSBY, the winner initially misread his ticket. Samaan explained to KSBY:
He came to the store, he scratched it, and is like, 'Oh, my god. Is that real? Wilson, can you come and take a look?' I'm like, 'Let me see,' so I grabbed the ticket out of his hand and went to the machine over there. He's like, 'Man, I'm not homeless anymore!' I'm like, 'Man, you hit the jackpot.' He's like, '$100,000?' and I'm like, 'No, bro. That's $1 million. Congrats, brother,' so, and we gave each other a high five.
Samaan said the winner was going to mail in his ticket to claim his win, but that Samaan drove the winner to Fresno instead, a distance of over two hours. Samaan told Cal Coastal News:
I was so excited he hit the jackpot because he deserves it. It's like when good things happen to good people.
A nearby retailer called Thrifty Business featured the winner in a celebratory Instagram video without naming him.
In the caption, the owner mentions that the man and his wife have always been “nice.”
“My friend here just won the lottery for a million dollars in [San Luis Obispo]...That's crazy,” said the owner in the video.
The winner held up his ticket and said to the camera:
I won a million dollars here in [San Luis Obispo] at Sandy's liquor store, and I can't wait to get off the streets.
Beating incredible odds
To play Triple Red 777, players scratch tickets hoping to find the number 7, and if they find two sevens, their prize doubles. Should they find 777, the prize triples. It costs $10 per ticket, with twenty tries per play. The top prize is $1 million.
There's a 1 in 2,047,423 chance of getting the $1 million prize, according to the California State Lottery.
The win has not been confirmed yet. This is a process that could take several weeks, according to KSBY.
Comments