A lucky Florida couple won a $1 million prize playing a scratch-off game, just weeks before the couple’s first baby was due.
The Florida Lottery recently announced that John Stanhill, of Jacksonville, claimed a $1 million prize from the 500X THE CASH scratch-off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
Accompanied by Victoria Oakley and the couple’s family dog, Maya, John said they were excited about their recent win—it came just three weeks before the couple’s first baby was due. “This just couldn’t have happened at a better time!” Stanhill said.
Stanhill chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $640,000.00.
Stanhill purchased his winning ticket from Duval Exxon, located at 1403 Third Street North in Jacksonville Beach. The retailer received a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.
The Florida Lottery recently caught up with the Duval County couple, who said they have been very busy with their newborn. “We won the lottery – and then we won the lottery again with our beautiful, healthy baby boy!” Oakley said. “All in three weeks’ time!”
“Our lottery win has been such a huge relief for us. We’ve been able to fully focus on being new parents by putting our financial worries at ease,” the couple said. “We were able to start a college fund for our baby and plan on paying off student loans. We are over the moon with everything that’s happened!”
The $50 500X THE CASH scratch-off game features more than 10 million winning tickets, with a top prize of $25 million. This ticket offers more than $1.66 billion in total cash prizes. The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-4.23.
Scratch-off games are an important part of the Florida Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 72 percent of ticket sales in fiscal year 2022-2023. Additionally, since inception, scratch-off games have awarded more than $61.9 billion in prizes, created 2,103 millionaires, and generated more than $18.95 billion for the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).
The Florida Lottery 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. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,500 Lottery retailers, and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $94.2 billion in prizes and made more than 4,000 people millionaires.
