What started as a quick grocery run turned into a life-altering payout for Apopka resident Jean Olsen. The 63-year-old turned a $5 scratch-off ticket into a $1,000,000 top prize from the Florida Lottery’s $1,000,000 Cash Stacks game. Olsen claimed the win on July 1 at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee and chose the cash option, walking away with a one-time payment of $616,700 before taxes.
Quick Publix Run Turns Into a Windfall
Olsen picked up the lucky $5 ticket at the Publix on Rock Springs Road in Apopka before heading to Tallahassee to make it official, according to the Tampa Free Press. The outlet published a photo credited to the Florida Lottery that identifies Olsen as the winner. Her story is the latest in a growing line of everyday errands that end with instant-win headlines across Florida.
Inside the Game and the Big Claim
The $1,000,000 Cash Stacks scratch-off is a $5 game that launched with more than $48 million in total cash prizes, according to the Florida Lottery. The Lottery’s top-prize records show a July 1 claim tied to a ticket sold at the Apopka Publix and note that the winner chose the cash option, resulting in the $616,700 payout. The state’s winning-ticket PDF details the retailer’s address and the official prize entry in the Florida Lottery top-prize report.
Scratch-Offs, Stores and Local Patterns
Scratch-off games account for roughly 74 percent of Florida Lottery ticket sales in fiscal 2024-25, a share highlighted by the Tampa Free Press using Lottery data. With so much action on instant-win games, it is no surprise that supermarkets and convenience stores routinely show up as top-prize hot spots. Earlier this spring, an Ocala shopper who claimed a $1 million scratch-off earlier this spring offered another reminder of just how often routine grocery runs across the region end in seven-figure surprises.
