A Watertown man is turning a surprise $1 million lottery win into a down payment on a new life, saying he plans to funnel the seven-figure prize straight into real estate.
Ahmed Abualsebah hit it big on a Massachusetts State Lottery scratch ticket and opted for the one-time cash payout instead of an annuity. His win is one of the first headline-grabbing scores from the state’s new $20 instant games that rolled out this month, part of a fresh batch of higher-priced scratch options crowding convenience store counters.
Abualsebah’s ticket came from the $20 $2,000,000 Stacked instant game, which launched on Feb. 17. He chose the lump-sum cash option worth $650,000 before taxes. The winning ticket was sold at a Gulf station on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Natick, and that retailer will collect a $10,000 bonus for selling it. Those details were first reported by Daily Voice.
New scratch games already minting big winners
The $2,000,000 Stacked game is already delivering on its high-roller promise. As noted by Boston.com, the $20 ticket debuted Feb. 17 and still has multiple $2 million top prizes up for grabs. Over on the islands, the Boston Globe has spotlighted a Nantucket diner that has turned into a quiet lottery hotspot, selling multiple million-dollar tickets since 2024, including a recent $2 million claim.
Local bonus, long-term play
For the Gulf in Natick, Abualsebah’s win means a tidy $10,000 commission and a fresh bragging right at the pumps. For Abualsebah, it is seed money for his real estate plans, a quick pivot from scratch ticket to property portfolio. Lottery officials routinely urge big winners to talk with tax and financial pros before making any major moves, since lump sums come with immediate tax hits that can take some of the shine off that giant check. According to Daily Voice, the Massachusetts State Lottery supplied the photo that ran with the initial coverage of Abualsebah’s win.
