An unnamed player won $1 million after buying a scratch-off lottery ticket during a recent visit to a Wawa store in New Jersey.
The winner, who preferred to remain anonymous, was out on a trip visiting family living near the Jersey Shore, and was planning to go about his or her standard morning routine when a hunch told him or her to go and get a scratch-off ticket, the New Jersey Lottery said in a press release.
“I usually get up, go for a walk, get my coffee and a couple of Scratch offs. But this time, I was on a mission,” the winner told lottery officials. “Something told me to get up, get my shoes out and get my tickets.”
The player walked into a local Wawa store and saw a $20 Diamond Spectacular scratch-off ticket.
“Something caught my eye, and I said, ‘Let me buy that,’” the winner said.
That ticket proved to be one of the three $1,000,000 top prizes for the $20 Diamond Spectacular scratch-off tickets.
Two of the three top prizes have now been claimed, meaning one more million-dollar ticket is hiding along with a dozen $10,000 prizes somewhere in the Garden State, the New Jersey Lottery said.
More than 7 million Diamond Spectacular tickets have been printed since the game started in July 2023. So far, 28 winners have taken home $10,000 each, 211 people won a $2,000 prize, and more than 340,000 players won smaller prizes between $50 and $500, not counting free ticket winners.
“Like any player, I guess, I have a routine. I scratch the bonus section first,” the New Jersey winner said. “I didn’t win there. Then I scratched the winning numbers (at the top of the card). It looked like I was going to win something. Maybe a free ticket, I thought.”
“I kept going, and…Oh. My. God. I won! I was in shock. Tears were in my eyes,” the player said, who clearly wasn’t prepared to win the jackpot.
“The clerk came over, looked at me, and asked if she needed to call an ambulance.”
“After taxes, the million-dollar prize may not exactly be generational wealth,” Lottery officials said. “However, it can certainly be life enhancing.”
The player has no plans to quit his or her job and has since continued playing the lottery, saying “I’ve won a couple hundred dollars since I’ve won. And I want to keep (working). I would go out of my mind otherwise.”
The player said that prior to the big win, that very same store had another person win a couple of thousand dollars.
“It must be a lucky Wawa.”
According to the New Jersey Lottery, $1,000,000 prizes are paid in 25 annual gross installments of $40,000 each. Winners can also opt to receive a one-time cash payment of $798,000 instead.