In terms of return on investment, one Florida woman might have most economic markets beat this week after scoring a huge scratch-off ticket victory. Per a recent article, earlier this month, the fortunate lottery player from Panama City, Florida was pleasantly surprised by a mind-blowing $1 million win from one of the Florida Lottery’s popular scratch-off games – The “$1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR.” The Lottery uncovered details regarding the lucky winner, whose name is Josephine Galarza. Noted in the same article, the 36-year-old woman from Bay County bought her winning ticket from Speedway Ford Marrt at 3000 West Highway 98 in Panama City. The retailer that sold the winning top prize ticket will benefit from a $2,000 bonus, the Lottery confirmed.
In this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming from the Sunshine State, as well as some more notes and info for Florida gaming updates.
Per the article, considering that she claimed one of the top two prizes, there’s only one such prize remaining in play. The odds of winning the grand prize from the $1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR scratch-off ticket is 1 in 21,727,995. Galarza was presented with a choice, and she decided to collect her winnings as a one-time lump sum cash payment. Visiting Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee, the fortunate 36-year-old woman collected her $640,000 win earlier this month.
According to the Florida Lottery, scratch-off games represent an important share of its portfolio of games. For the fiscal year 2022-23, scratch-off games represented 72% of the sales. Thanks to the wide range of scratch-off games offered by the Lottery, some 2,103 people have become millionaires, while nearly $62 billion in prizes have been awarded. The proceeds, the article notes, from scratch-off games help benefit Florida’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. So far, a sum of more than $18.95 billion has been dedicated to the fund.
Per the report, upon launching the $100,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR scratch-off game, there were two grand prizes up for grabs and a total of 234 prizes of $1 million each. The odds of winning a second-tier prize of $1 million are 1 in 185,709, while the odds of winning a third-tier $50,000 prize are 1 in 120,711.
Out of the initial 234 prizes of $1 million each, a total of 90 remain in play. On the other hand, out of the 360 prizes of $50,000 each at the start, now, there are 134 such prizes outstanding. Within the lower-tier payouts, there were 2,163 prizes of $20,000 each at the launch of the Lottery’s scratch-off game. With odds 1 in 20,091, a total of 808 such prizes remain in play. The overall odds of winning a prize from the $50 scratch-off game are 1 in 4.5.
In other Florida gaming news, Tallahassee Police helped the Florida Gaming Control Commission seize illegal gambling machines. Other machines were also confiscated in Jefferson and Wakulla County. Per a release from the FGCC, the Commission completed an ongoing investigation by making arrests and confiscating illegal gambling machines from five Tallahassee-area gas stations. The Tallahassee Police Department also assisted in the operation.
Noted in the release, legal gaming is strictly regulated by Florida law, which provides player protections, combats illegal activity, generates state revenue, and fosters game integrity. Any person who possesses a slot machine without the license required by Florida Statute is subject to an administrative fine or civil penalty of up to $10,000 per machine. Occupational licenses held by a person found guilty of violating gambling statutes, such as a business permit or liquor license, can also be suspended.
Per the article, ten gas stations total were involved in the North Florida operation, including one Jefferson County location, one Wakulla County location, and eight Leon County locations. More than $17,000 was seized from the 21 illegal gambling machines confiscated by gaming enforcement personnel, including both slot machines and coin pushers. Ten arrests have been made thus far, with additional arrests pending. Gambling machines are allowed only in legal gaming facilities, and slot machines are legal only in eight licensed pari-mutuel facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and at certain facilities operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Moreover, it is against the law to offer slot machine gaming or any unauthorized gambling at any unlicensed facility in the state of Florida.
Once you are all dialed in regarding the most recent gaming news coming from Florida, make sure to peruse the variety of information and resources available to you at SBS. For even more analysis on the region covered here, make sure to check out the Florida sports betting guide which goes over all of the latest updates coming from the state as it relates to gaming. On a separate note, for those interested in some higher-stakes wagering, you should peruse the VIP sports betting sites rundown if you are eligible and feel like it makes sense for you. Finally, if you are interested in maximizing your wagers, look no further than the best bonus betting sites breakdown where you can find a catalog of the latest and greatest welcome bonus offers.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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