C. A. BridgesUSA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
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The gold rush continues with a winner in Charlotte County.
Nancy Rinehart of Englewood bought a $20 Gold Rush Limited scratch-off game in June of last year and claimed a $1 million prize, according to a release Wednesday, Sept. 18, from the Florida Lottery.
Rinehart opted for the one-time, lump-sum payout of $795,200. She bought her ticket from Englewood Food Store, 2680 Placida Road, Englewood. The retailer received a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket, lottery officials said.
Mega Millions, Powerball? These 3 Florida Lottery games have better odds to win $1 million
About the Gold Rush Limited scratch-off game
The $20 scratch-off game Gold Rush Limited features 32 top prizes of $5 million and 100 prizes of $1 million, the Florida Lottery said. The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-2.65.
According to lottery data, 89 people have won $1 million in this game since 2021 and 29 have won the top prize of $5 million. Most recently, someone bought a ticket at Key Food Supermarket in Kissimmee and won $1 million on Aug. 27, 2024.
The odds of winning $1 million in the game are 1 in 756,000. The odds of winning the $5 million are 1 in 2,362,500.
Meanwhile, someone in Texas won the big $800 million Mega Millions jackpot on Sept. 10, but it wasn’t all bad news: A Floridian won $1 million for matching five numbers in the Mega Millions drawing. The jackpot for Friday, Sept. 20, drawing is up to $47 million.
The Powerball lottery jackpot was won two times in one week last month and was last reset when a ticket in California wonthe Powerball drawing on Monday, August 19.The current Powerball jackpot is up to $195 million.
What games are in the Florida Lottery?
The Florida Lottery has a variety of national and state games. Drawings are held:
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
- Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
- Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
The Florida Lottery also sells dozens of scratch-off games with prizes up to $25 million.
Can you scan Florida scratch-off tickets? Does the Florida Lottery have an app?
Yes! Just use the Florida Lottery app (iOS | Android), tap on "Check My Ticket" in the bottom menu and then SCAN BARCODE. Center the ticket's UPC in your camera to find out if you're a winner.
How do you cash scratch-off tickets in Florida?
- Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
- Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
- Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.
You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.
What is the best Florida Lottery scratch-off game?
Depends on what you're looking for.
The scratch-off game with the best odds of winning something may be Gold Rush Limited, where you have a 1-in-2.65 chance of winning something, according to lottery officials.
The game with the biggest single payment jackpot remaining is the $50 500X the Cash, which has two $25 million jackpots still in play (odds of winning, 1-in-21,920,355). Next would be the $30 300X the Cash, which has two $15 million jackpots left. You've got a 1-in-11,701,050 shot at that one.
For potentially the most total cash, depending on your likely lifespan, spending $50 for a chance at $1,000,000 a Year for Life Spectacular (minimum 25) is the biggest value. There's one left of those, with odds of 1-in-21,727,995.
How to play responsibly
Lottery games are games of chance played for fun, but some people may have problems with these sorts of games. According to the Florida Lottery:
- Don't think of the lottery as a way to make money
- Only play with money you can afford to lose (the odds are very, very good that you will)
- Set a dollar limit and stick to it
- Know the odds before you play
- Never chase your losses
- Never borrow money to play the lottery
- Don't play when you're upset or depressed
- Know when to ask for help: The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, National Problem Gambling Helpline, Gamblers Anonymous
