New millionaires in California thanks to scratchers instant game wins

Loyalty paid off for one lucky winner in the California Lottery Scratchers. Larry Goodman always buys his scratchers from a specific store and this time it paid off with a huge win.

$2 million winning ticket

Goodman always gets his scratchers at Pacheco’s Express Way Liquor in Hollister. He told the California Lottery he’s been buying them there for the past five or six years. While he has won some big prizes in the past, like $5,000 and $10,000, nothing compares to the big win Goodman recently experienced.

His loyalty to Pacheco’s paid off, as he stopped one evening after work and purchased two $20 Instant Prize Crossword tickets and hit the $2 million top prize on the first one he scratched.

“I matched all 12 words, but at first, I didn’t believe it. I’ve won $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 on other games, but I thought I made a mistake reading this one! I double and triple checked it. It was surprising,” Goodman said. “I don’t just scan the barcode like a lot of people do. I take them home and play them because I feel like if I don’t win, I might as well get a few minutes of fun out of it.”

With a big win under his belt, Goodman said he is putting those winnings to good use. He told the California Lottery, “I bought a new truck, a new house, and I’ve put some money away to do all right for a while. It’s pretty cool.”

Other big winners in California

Besides Goodman, there have been some other lucky California Lottery players to hit for seven-figure jackpots. The latest winners include:

• Janet Lua won the top prize on a different crossword game — a $30 Crossword Xtreme — and took home $7 million. She purchased the winning ticket at Cutler Food Mart in Cutler.
• Miguel Bravo played a 100X Scratchers and won the top prize of $5 million. He purchased his winning ticket at $1 Store in Gardena.
• Leticia Hirales had the same luck as Goodman, as she also won $2 million on a $20 Instant Prize Crossword ticket. She purchased her lucky ticket at the Water Store on Alondra Blvd. in Paramount.
• Brian Mejia played Ice Cool Scratchers and won $1 million. He purchased the winning ticket at a Valero gas station on Victory Blvd. in Van Nuys.
• Francisco Ortega was another $1 million winner after playing a Millionaire Maker Scratcher. The winning ticket was purchased at La Mexicana on Van Nuys Blvd. in Pacoima.

Luck for the lotto retailers also

While the players above are enjoying their newfound wealth, the lotto retailers are enjoying some extra cash being deposited into their bank accounts also. For selling the winning $2 million ticket to Goodman, the owner of Pacheco’s Express Way Liquor received a $10,000 bonus. The same goes for the owners of the Water Store on Alondra Blvd. in Paramount that sold the winning $2 million ticket to Hirales.

Meanwhile, the owner of Cutler Food Mart in Cutler received a $35,000 bonus for selling the $7 million winning tickets to Lua. The $1 Store in Gardena received a $25,000 bonus for selling the winning $5 million ticket to Bravo.

Enjoy playing the California Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.