A 53-year-old Miami man, Montrez Harris, walked away with a massive multimillion-dollar payout after a quick stop at a local gas station turned into the ultimate lottery win. Harris claimed the top $5 million prize from the 200X THE CASH scratch-off game at the Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on February 13.
The Winning Ticket
The lucky ticket was purchased at the Raceway gas station at 3695 N.W. 183rd Street in Miami Gardens. The game Harris played, 200X THE CASH, costs $20 to enter and has overall odds of winning 1-in-2.96. According to lottery officials, the game launched with more than 6.9 million winning tickets in circulation and over $313 million in total available cash prizes.
Harris opted to take home his money all at once, walking out with a one-time, lump-sum payment of $2,779,400.00. State officials note that 99 percent of the lottery’s total revenue is reinvested directly back into the local economy. This includes prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,600 registered lottery retailers across the state, and funding for public education.
Impact on the Community
To date, the Florida Lottery has contributed more than $50 billion to the state’s education system, which has helped fund college, university, and technical school tuition for over one million students through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
