A New Jersey couple won a Rs 12.86 crore ($1.5 million) lottery through a Rs 257 ($3) scratch-off ticket while they were on their way to dinner. The lucky players bought the winning ticket for the Wine for Life! Scratch-Off game at Lucky 7 Deli, located at 397 Centre Street in Nutley, according to a report in People.
"I'm in shock. I scratched the ticket. I saw the prize. I thought it was going to say 'free ticket'. It just didn't click with me," said one of the players who chose to remain anonymous.
The couple would not have won the lottery if it weren't for the insistence of one of the partners. While one wanted to buy tickets in another town, the second insisted on purchasing from a store that they did not typically visit.
"Like they ever listen to me! So, I go in and get a $10 ticket and a couple of the $3 Win for Lifes," the player recalled.
"It was just so random. This really changes our lives. We're always stressed about bills. This makes life a lot easier," the winner said.
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Instead of receiving the full value, the couple opted for annuity payments, meaning they are guaranteed a total of at least $1.5 million spread over 25 annual payments. The cash option would have been a single gross lump sum prize payment of $875,200, per the New Jersey Lottery's website.
As per the lottery website, after the winning ticket is verified, payments will be "issued annually in advance starting on or about the anniversary date of the claim and will continue for the life of the winner."
Since the lottery's inception in 1970, it has contributed nearly $33.7 billion to the state. Lottery profits currently help bolster the public employee pension system under a 30-year agreement signed into law in 2017
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