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Lottery player wins life-changing prize at Florida Publix. Where was lucky ticket sold?

A Publix shopper tried their luck on a lottery ticket and won big, according to the Florida Lottery.
A Publix shopper tried their luck on a lottery ticket and won big, according to the Florida Lottery. Google Street View Image from March 2022 ©2024 Google

A Florida lottery player turned a $50 bid into $1 million.

Sandra Kelley of Port Charlotte won the life-changing prize on a $1,000,000 a Year for Life Spectacular Scratch-Off game, the Florida Lottery said in an Oct. 14 news release.

The lucky ticket was purchased from the Publix store on Tamiami Trail.

Kelley claimed her winnings Oct. 14 at the lottery’s Fort Myers District Office, accepting a lump sum payment of $640,000, after taxes, officials said.

She beat odds of 1 in 185,709 to win the game’s top prize, according to the Florida Lottery’s website.

Eighty-seven $1 million prizes are still up for grabs in the $1,000,000 a Year for Life Spectacular game.

Port Charlotte is about a 30-mile drive northwest from Fort Myers.

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 October 15, 2024 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Lottery player wins life-changing prize at Florida Publix. Where was lucky ticket sold?."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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