- As of August 2023, there are 5 remaining $1 million prizes from 500x the Cash game
- In Florida, lottery winners can't remain anonymous. Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win
We know the odds of winning a $1 million prize from a Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket are 1 in 267,739.
But what are the odds of winning a $1 million prize from the same type of Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket twice in six months?
And ... what are the odds of this happening to two different people in Florida at around the same time?
That's a headscratcher.
On Nov. 30, 2022, Altovise Morris of Orlando claimed $1 million from a 500x the Cash Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket. She had purchased the winning ticket at 7-Eleven, 13698 West Colonial Drive, Winter Garden, and opted for a one-time lump sum payment of $820,000.
A day later on Dec. 1, 2022, Scottie Grant of Molino claimed $1 million from a 500x the Cash lottery scratch-off. He had purchased his winning ticket from Lucky Penny, 2900 W. Jackson St., Pensacola, and also opted for a lump sum payment like Morris.
Lightning struck twice for Morris and Grant months later.
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On Jan. 31, 2023, almost two months to the day, Morris claimed her second $1 million prize from a 500x the Cash Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket. This time, the Orange County woman bought her ticket from Sunoco Foodmart, 940 S U.S. 27, Clermont, according to the Florida Lottery. And just like before, she took the lump sum.
On May 12, Grant made the trip to Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee, telling lottery officials, "I'm back!" a news release states. That's when the 58-year-old Escambia County man claimed his second $1 million prize from the 500x the Cash scratch-off game. He bought his winning ticket at Circle Food Mart, 2000 N. T St., Pensacola, and received it as a lump-sum payment of $820,000. It was a good day for the Circle Food Mart, too: Florida Lottery awarded the retailer a $2,000 bonus commission.
An Aug. 23 check online shows there are five remaining $1 million prizes from the 500x the Cash lottery. Could there be a repeat million-dollar winner? As they say in the lottery business, "it could happen to you."
Below are some things to know about the 500x the Cash scratch-off game and details about its top winners.
How much does it cost to play 500x the Cash lottery?
500x the Cash scratch-off tickets cost $50. Florida Lottery launched this game on Feb. 28, 2022.
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How do you play 500x the Cash lottery scratch-offs?
Players see if their scratch-off ticket matched any of the winning numbers, winning the prize shown for that number.
What are the odds for 500x the Cash?
- The game's overall odds of winning are 1-in-4.50.
- The odds of winning 500x the Cash's top prize of $25 million are 1-in-21,419,145.
- The odds of winning $1 million are 1-in-267,739.
How much can you win playing 500x the Cash?
The scratch-off game features a top prize of $25 million, the largest for a Florida Lottery scratch-off game, and the best odds to become an instant millionaire, according to Florida Lottery's website. Players have a chance to win 5x to 500x (5 times, 10 times, 20 times, 50 times, 100 times or 500 times) the prize. If that appears on the ticket, players get the prize shown for that symbol.
If players get a "moneybag" symbol, they win double the prize amount shown for all 35 prizes.
Tickets have "bonus" numbers, and players get an extra $500 if their winning numbers match the bonus number.
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Can players win 500x the Cash's top prize of $25 million?
As of Aug. 23, the Florida Lottery shows the two top prizes of $25 million were both claimed.
In June 2022, lottery officials announced George Demetriades of Bonita Springs won $25 million from his 500x the Cash scratch-off ticket. Demetriades appeared in May 2022 at the lottery's district office in Fort Myers and chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $20,560,000, according to the lottery.
Demetriades bought his scratch-off from Circle K, 10460 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs. The store received a $50,000 bonus commission.
The identity of the other $25 million winner has not been revealed by lottery officials − yet. In Florida, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous, per rules. The winner's name, residence, prize amount, where the ticket was purchased from and when are subject to publication. However, there is a grace period for lottery winners to be temporarily exempt from public disclosure.
According to Florida Lottery records, one winner from Riverview came forward to claim the other $25 million prize on July 21, 2023. That ticket was purchased from Publix, 13650 Fiddlesticks Blvd., Fort Myers. Like Demetriades, the mystery winner opted for a one-time lump sum of $20,560,000.
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Can players win $1 million from a 500x the Cash Florida Lottery ticket?
As of Aug. 23, the Florida Lottery shows of the 160 total prizes of $1 million for the 500x the Cash game, there are five winning tickets remaining valued for $1 million, and 155 were claimed since the game was launched.
Can I buy Florida lottery tickets online?
No. Some states have this option via an app or website, but not the Florida Lottery. Tickets cannot be purchased by mail, fax or online. There are more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers here, the site states.
When do Florida lottery tickets expire?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it. Florida Lottery says its scratch-off tickets and Fast Play game prizes "must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire."
What happens to the unclaimed prize money?
According to the Florida Lottery, state law requires 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings.
Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous?
According toFlorida Lottery's website, winners cannot remain anonymous: "Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner's name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information."
However, the site states, since May 25, 2022, the "names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner."
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her onTwitteror Instagram at@byjensangalang. Support local journalism.Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
