In a turn of events that can only be described as fortuitous, a St. Augustine man, William Evans, has stumbled upon a million-dollar windfall after playing the Florida Lottery's $1,000,000 a Year for Life Spectacular scratch-off game. As reported by First Coast News, the 52-year-old opted for the cash option, walking away with a lump sum of $640,000, before taxes, of course.
The golden ticket was purchased from a Publix supermarket at 5415 North Oceanshore Blvd., in Palm Coast. While Evans is now considerably richer, the grocery store isn't doing too shabby either, having received a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the million-dollar scratcher. According to News4Jax, the "Spectacular" game offers up two grand prizes of $1 million per year for life and an additional 234 prizes of $1 million.
The Florida Lottery laid out the odds of winning at an unsettling 1-in-4.50 for any prize, which is said to return about 69 cents on the dollar to players on average. The scratch-off game, which retails for $50 per ticket, has thus far offered life-changing jackpots to a number of Floridians, and Evans is just the latest to join that exclusive club of instant millionaires.
Whatever plans Evans has for the sudden infusion of cash, he has not publicly disclosed them. But, according to a statement obtained by News4 Jax, he seems to have made the prudent decision to take the prize as a one-time, lump-sum, which financial advisers often suggest can afford more control over the winnings, and, potentially a better return on investment than the annuity option.
