Jennifer Hercher-Allen of Tarpon Springs won the top prize of $1 million in The Cash Wheel scratch-off game, according to the Florida Lottery.
The Pinellas County woman chose to receive her winnings in one lump sum payment of $605,016.40.
The Central Florida winner purchased her winning ticket from Publix, which is located at 40932 U.S. Highway 19 N. in Tarpon Springs. The retailer got an additional $2,000 commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.
She went to Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee to claim her winning award.
The Cash Wheel scratch-off game costs $5 and gives over $62 million in total cash prizes, including 4.3 million winning tickets. According to the Florida Lottery, only two top rewards remain.
The game’s total odds of winning are 1 in 4.05.
Scratch-off games are a key part of the lottery’s range of games, accounting for over 74% of ticket sales in fiscal year 2023-2024. Furthermore, since their establishment, scratch-off games have awarded over $66.9 billion in prizes, created 2,350 billionaires, and raised more than $20.09 billion for the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).
The Florida Lottery is responsible for providing over $49 billion in education funding and for sending more than 983,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue back into the state’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to over 13,550 lottery merchants, and educational transfers. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have given out over $100.2 billion in prizes, making more than 4,300 millionaires.
