A $10 lottery splurge just turned into a life-changing payday for 50-year-old Fort Meade resident Emorie Clark, who hit the $2 million top prize on the Florida Lottery’s $2,000,000 Gold Rush Multiplier scratch-off. Clark claimed his winnings at lottery headquarters, opting for a one-time lump-sum payment of $1,276,000 after buying the lucky ticket at a local beverage store.
The Florida Lottery identified the Polk County winner as Clark and said he made the trip to its Tallahassee headquarters on Oct. 7 to claim the prize and take the lump-sum option of $1,276,000, according to WFTV.
Clark’s golden ticket came from Mac’s Discount Beverage at 822 N. Charleston Avenue in Fort Meade, the store that sold the winner that turned a $10 gamble into the game’s $2,000,000 top prize, as first reported by West Orlando News.
Game details and odds
The $10 Gold Rush Multiplier scratch-off launched in January 2025, promising more than $220 million in total cash prizes and featuring five $2 million top prizes on its original print run, with overall odds of about 1-in-3.41, according to game data tracked by ScratchSmarter. The same tally shows which prizes are still unclaimed and confirms that one of those $2 million top prizes now belongs to Clark.
Where the money goes
Scratch-off tickets are still the workhorse of Florida’s instant-win action, making up roughly 74 percent of all ticket sales in fiscal year 2023-24, according to reporting by West Orlando News. The Florida Lottery notes on its website that it has paid out more than $104 billion in prizes and transferred over $49 billion to education since 1988, helping fund the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund and scholarship efforts like the Bright Futures program.
Tax note for winners
Clark’s decision to take a lump sum is a popular route for big winners, but the tax man is never far behind. At the federal level, gambling winnings over $5,000 are subject to a standard 24 percent withholding and reported to the winner on Form W-2G, per the IRS. Because Florida does not impose a personal income tax, lottery winners in the state typically only have to navigate federal tax obligations on their prizes.
With one $2 million top prize still listed in the Gold Rush Multiplier game, lottery officials are reminding players to double-check their tickets and claim any prizes at district offices or Lottery Headquarters. Scratch-off prize tallies and claim instructions are posted online for anyone keeping tabs on remaining payouts, while ScratchSmarter continues to monitor the game’s live prize counts.
