Florida Man Scores $1 Million From $5 Lottery Ticket

A lucky South Florida man turned $5 into $1 million after he won a prize from a lottery game. According to Florida Lottery, 69-year-old Thomas Hoshko, of Fort Lauderdale, claimed his huge prize from the $5 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game on Monday (August 14).

The winner chose to receive his prize as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $685,000, lottery officials said. Hoshko purchased his winning scratcher from a Publix located at 4703 North Ocean Drive in Lauderdale-by-the Sea. The store will also get a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the ticket.

"The $5 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game features more than $188 million in cash prizes, including 28 top prizes of $1 million," the Florida Lottery stated. "The game's overall odds of winning are 1-in-3.98."

He's not the only Florida walking home richer than before. A record-breaking Mega Millions ticket was sold in the Sunshine State last week. The winner scored $1.08 billion jackpot, the largest prize in the game's history and the third-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

According to Forbes, the Mega Millions ticket holder could receive annual payouts of a lump-sum payment of $783.3 million before taxes. After federal tax withholding, that leaves the winner with $595.3 million.