TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Lottery announces that Terry Dyas, 41, of Port St. Lucie, claimed a $500,000 top prize from the $500,000 SPECTACULAR Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee last week. He purchased his winning ticket from Racetrac, located at 3000 State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach.
Dyas was traveling to Daytona Beach for work when he stopped at the convenience store. While there, he cashed in a $5 winning Scratch-Off ticket. “The clerk asked me if I wanted the cash, or if I wanted another ticket,” Dyas said. “So, I pulled out another $15 and asked for four $5 Scratch-Off tickets – clerk’s choice.” Dyas said the $500,000 winner was the last ticket he scratched. “I couldn’t believe it, I sat in my car shaking. I’m still in shock.”
The $5 game, $500,000 SPECTACULAR, launched in August 2019 and offers more than $48.7 million in prizes, including six top prizes of $500,000. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.03.
Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 69 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $965 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2018-19.
To help protect employees and players during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, Florida Lottery Headquarters and district offices will be closed to the public until further notice. Players who have winning tickets are encouraged to mail them to Florida Lottery Headquarters or their nearest district office. All claim deadlines have been extended by 90 days, giving players the option to hold on to winning tickets and wait to claim any prizes until Lottery offices reopen to the public. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com/closures.
