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These 7 lottery players tried their luck — and won big prizes. See their stories

Stories by Real-Time News journalists, with AI summarization

Ordinary errands, lucky instincts and sudden splurges led these everyday folks to jaw-dropping lottery prizes. This list of stories outlines how a man’s spontaneous stop at a Sheetz in Maryland landed him $250,000, while another player in Florida turned a $5 Cash Wheel ticket bought at a 7-Eleven into $1 million.

Read the stories below.

A man won big after buying a last-minute lottery ticket in Maryland, officials said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 1: ‘THIS CAN’T BE RIGHT.’ MAN BUYS LAST-MINUTE LOTTERY TICKET AND WINS BIG IN MARYLAND

“I was about to leave when I thought to myself, ‘Why not?’” | Published May 16, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez

A record-breaking lottery ticket was sold in South Carolina. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 2: LOTTERY PLAYER WINS HISTORIC JACKPOT PRIZE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WHERE WAS TICKET SOLD?

The lucky player’s ticket matched all numbers picked in a recent drawing. | Published May 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

Pamela Arscott won a $1 million lottery prize, but thought it was a mistake. Illinois Lottery

NO. 3: GREAT-GRANDMA CREDITS LATE HUSBAND IN BIG ILLINOIS LOTTERY WIN. ‘A BLESSING FROM HIM’

“I thought it was a mistake,” the woman said of her big win. | Published July 1, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mike Stunson

A Powerball player in Georgia scored a life-changing win in the lottery game’s latest drawing, officials say. Photo by Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash

NO. 4: POWERBALL PLAYER WINS $2 MILLION PRIZE IN GEORGIA. WHERE WAS THE LUCKY TICKET SOLD?

Check your numbers! | Published July 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Tanasia Kenney

A man won a huge prize after buying a $50 scratch-off in Idaho, lottery officials said.

NO. 5: MAN SWITCHES IT UP AND PLAYS ‘BIG TICKETS’ LOTTERY GAMES. IT LED TO A ‘SURREAL MOMENT’

“Brain. Blown! Pwooff,” the Idaho winner said. | Published October 10, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez

A Missouri man thought he won $50,000, but his prize was worth much more. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 6: LOTTERY PLAYER THINKS HE WON $50K. THEN HE LEARNS MISSOURI TICKET IS WORTH A LOT MORE

He turned out to be 40 times as lucky. | Published January 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Rhiannon Saegert

An Orlando man won a jackpot prize of $1 million in a scratch-off game he bought at a local 7-Eleven, the Florida Lottery announced. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 7: LOTTERY PLAYER TURNS $5 INTO LIFE-CHANGING PRIZE AT FLORIDA 7-ELEVEN. HERE’S WHERE

The odds of winning jackpot in the game are 1-in-2,963,170. | Published February 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.