Media

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021

CONTACT:
FLORIDA LOTTERY COMMUNICATIONS
(850) 487-7727
communications@flalottery.com

TAMPA MAN WINS THE FIRST TOP PRIZE
FROM THE STRUCK BY LUCK SCRATCH-OFF GAME
~ Player Wins a Downpour of Cash at Rainbow Food Mart ~

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Lottery (Lottery) announces that Demetrios Valaes, 61, of Tampa, claimed the first $1 million top prize from the STRUCK BY LUCK Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $880,000.00.

"The store where we usually buy our tickets was very busy, so we decided to go down the road to get them instead," Valeas told the Lottery. "We definitely felt 'struck' by luck after that split-decision turned into a $1 million win!"

Valaes purchased his winning ticket from Rainbow Food Mart, located at 3302 South West Shore Boulevard in Tampa. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

The STRUCK BY LUCK game gives players the chance to win electrifying prizes of up to $1 million. This game is packed with 7 million winning tickets and more than $176.4 million in cash prizes. The game?s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.36.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery's portfolio of games, comprising approximately 75 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $1.3 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2020-21.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $40 billion to enhance education and sending more than 880,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Lottery retailers and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $77.6 billion in prizes and made more than 3,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.

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