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Airport worker win $20 million California lottery prize on lunch break. ‘Biggest rush’

A California airport worker won $20 million on a Set for Life lottery scratcher, then had his wife double-check the ticket, officials say.
A California airport worker won $20 million on a Set for Life lottery scratcher, then had his wife double-check the ticket, officials say. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Durwin Hickman had a hard time believing he’d just won $20 million on a California Lottery Scratcher, so he sent a photo of the ticket to his wife to double-check.

She confirmed the $30 Set for Life ticket hit the jackpot, the California Lottery said in a Friday, Dec. 15, news release.

“It was the biggest rush I have had in my life,” Hickman, a Bay Area airport worker, told lottery officials. He bought the scratcher at a Hayward liquor store and played it on his lunch break.

Hickman, who works as a skycap assisting passengers with their luggage, has big plans for the jackpot.

“My whole thing is I wanted to buy my wife a house,” he said. Hickman said he previously won $1,000 playing the lottery.

L & M Liquor will receive $100,000 for selling the winning ticket.

Hayward is about 30 miles southeast of San Francisco.

Other big scratchers jackpots include:

  • A $5 million jackpot won by Teresa Martinez on a 100x scratcher purchased at a Morgan Hill gas station.

  • A $5 million jackpot won by Eric Holtzman and Matoux De La Croix on a Premier 7’s scratcher purchased at a Los Angeles-area pharmacy.

  • A $5 million jackpot won by German Medina Zapata on a Premier 7’s scratcher purchased at a San Francisco liquor store.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published December 17, 2023 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Airport worker win $20 million California lottery prize on lunch break. ‘Biggest rush’."

DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
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