Woman wins $20 million in California scratch-off, becoming only the fourth person to ever win the state's biggest scratch-off prize (2024)

By Li Cohen

/ CBS News

A small California liquor store nestled in between a Crusty's Pizza and a nutrition shop was holding onto an item that could potentially change one woman's life forever. California Lottery officials announced that a woman purchased a scratch-off ticket from the store that revealed winnings of $20 million.

The California Lottery said on Wednesday that Mary Higelin bought a Set for Life Millionaire Edition Scratchers ticket from CN Liquor in Norco, California. Her $20 million win is the biggest prize possible in the game and made her just the fourth person in the state lottery's history to win it.

CN Liquor will also get a monetary prize for Higelin's win, earning one-half of 1% of her prize – about $100,000.

The win came as three others scored big in the California lottery.

Salvador Carbajal won $10 million on the California 200x scratch-off, officials said. He bought his winning ticket at a market in Baldwin Park outside of Los Angeles in September. Milton Polanco, the man who sold him the ticket, told the California Lottery that Carbajal had been playing scratch-offs "for a while."

"He was playing different games, switching back and forth," Polanco said, adding that the market also sold another ticket worth $15,000 a few years ago.

Roberto Nunes also won $10 million this week after playing a titanium Black scratch-off that he bought from a liquor store in Sherman Oaks. And the final winner, Nicholas Simpson, won $2 million off an Instant Prize Crossword ticket that he bought from a gas station on Sunset Boulevard. Each of the stores, similar to CN Liquor, will get a prize bonus for selling winning tickets.

Combined, all four winners tallied $42 million in prizes.

Californians have had their fair share of luck in the lottery in the past year.

In November, the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot that had the nation on the edge of its seat finally got a single winner – a man in southern California. While that person did not come forward with the news of his prize, the owner of the business that sold the ticket did.

Joe Chahayed, the owner of Joe's Service Center in Altadena, received $1 million for selling the ticket and said he would use the money for his five children and to donate to his community. A Syrian immigrant who came to the U.S. with his wife, two kids and just $14,000, said he is the grandfather of 10.

"I'm very surprised. Very excited. Very happy," he said. "...I work hard, seven days a week. I raised my kids, graduated from the college and bought a house and I bought a business all because I work hard and become an honest man."

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.

Woman wins $20 million in California scratch-off, becoming only the fourth person to ever win the state's biggest scratch-off prize (2024)

FAQs

Woman wins $20 million in California scratch-off, becoming only the fourth person to ever win the state's biggest scratch-off prize? ›

The California Lottery

California Lottery
Games hosted by the California Lottery include MEGA Millions, Super Lotto Plus, Fantasy 5, Daily 4, Daily 3, Daily Derby, and Scratchers.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › California_State_Lottery
said on Wednesday that Mary Higelin bought a Set for Life Millionaire Edition Scratchers ticket from CN Liquor in Norco, California. Her $20 million win is the biggest prize possible in the game and made her just the fourth person in the state lottery's history to win it.

Which lottery has highest chance of winning in California? ›

The CA Lottery Fantasy 5 lottery in California, at the time of this article being published, has the best odds in the California lottery. The odds of winning the Fantasy 5 jackpot are 1 in just under 600,000. However, if you are going for the big money in California, your best bet is the California Super Lotto Plus.

How much tax do you pay on a $1000 lottery ticket in CA? ›

How Our Lottery Winnings Taxed? California, unlike some other states, does not levy income tax on lottery tickets purchased within its borders.

Do scratch off tickets expire in California? ›

Scratchers® tickets must be postmarked or received by Lottery offices within 180 days of the announced end of game date. State law prohibits the sale of a Lottery ticket or the payment of a prize to anyone under 18. Tickets failing validation are void.

Does California have $50 scratchers? ›

Add some extra excitement with chances at two instant win fast spots and 10X and 20X prize multipliers. Play $50 or $100 Scratchers® for your chances to WIN UP TO $100!

What is the most likely scratch card to win on? ›

Top 5 Scratch Cards with the Highest Return to Player
  1. Lucky Numbers – 96.57 %
  2. Whack a Jackpot – 96.30 % ...
  3. Wish Upon a Jackpot – 96.06% ...
  4. Pig Wizard – 95.82% ...
  5. Merlin's Millions – 95.17% Boasting an extremely high RTP for an online scratch game, Merlin's Millions is a popular choice for this type of casino genre. ...
Nov 22, 2022

What store wins the most lottery? ›

Convenience stores typically connected to gas stations have sold the most winning Powerball and Mega Million tickets since 2021, according to NBC data analysts. Convenience stores that do not sell gas, liquor stores and supermarkets follow in the types of retailers where most winning tickets were sold.

Do lottery winnings affect social security? ›

Do lottery winnings count as earned income for Social Security purposes? Lottery winnings are not considered earned income, no matter how much work it was purchasing your tickets. Therefore, they do not affect your Social Security benefits.

How soon do you get your money after winning the lottery? ›

If you elected the cash option or if your prize is only offered in a single payment, your check should arrive approximately six to eight weeks from your claim date. If your prize is to be paid in installments, your first payment should be available within six to eight weeks from your claim date.

How long does it take to receive lottery winnings in California? ›

How long does it take to receive lottery winnings in California? Your first annuity payment, or the single cash option payment, should arrive within six to eight weeks. There are generally no California state taxes for Lottery prizes, but we are required to withhold federal taxes.

How many tickets are in a roll of $5 scratch offs in California? ›

For CA $5 lottery scratchers, how many tickets total in a new roll? Hi, this is Andrew. I'm here to help resolve your questions. I believe it is 60 tickets.

How do I cash a $1000 Lottery ticket in California? ›

PRIZES UP TO $1,000 PAID AT ALL DISTRICT OFFICES

Prizes of $1 to $599 should be claimed at participating California Lottery retailers. If your prize is $600 to $1,000, continue to Step 2 below. Download the correct claim form from the Claim a Prize page. Individual claimants complete Claim Form CSL1242.

Where can I cash my Lottery ticket over $600 in California? ›

For prizes $600 and above, players can claim their prize via mail or at their local District Office. For complete instructions on how to claim a prize by mail, please visit the Claim A Prize page. Prizes up to $599 can be claimed at a California Lottery retailer.

How do you tell if a California scratcher is a winner? ›

For Check-A-Ticket, a pop-up message will tell you if your ticket is a winner or not. If it is a winner, the message will include the amount of your prize. For 2nd Chance scans, you'll get a “success” message. You can also go to “My Submissions” to see a record of your successful 2nd Chance submissions.

What is 2nd chance scratchers? ›

Scratchers 2nd Chance

Your non-winning ticket gives you another opportunity to win up to $25,000 in a weekly draw. Every $1 you spend gives you 1 entry into 2nd Chance drawings. For instance, your non-winning $10 ticket gives you a 2nd Chance code for 10 entries.

Are California scratchers only in California? ›

You don't need to be a California resident or U.S. citizen to play and win any Lottery Scratchers® or draw game, but California Lottery games can only be purchased from a Lottery retailer in California. How can I claim my Lottery prize? Collect your prize of up to $599 at any participating Lottery retail location.

Which lottery draw has the best odds? ›

THE BEST WORLDWIDE LOTTERY ODDS
WORLDWIDE LOTTERY ODDS
German Lotto1:139,838,160
Powerball (US)1:292,201,338
MegaMillions (US)1:302,573,350
SuperEnalotto (Italy)1:622,614,630
15 more rows
Oct 11, 2022

What are the most common winning lottery? ›

The lottery numbers most likely to win big
  • The number 28 is drawn most often across all lotteries, with an average frequency of 201.4.
  • The numbers 16 and 39 are second and third, with average frequencies of 200.6 and 199, respectively.
  • The unluckiest lottery number is 47, with a frequency of just 138.
Apr 4, 2024

How to win super lotto in California? ›

To win the SuperLotto jackpot, players must match all six numbers, but can still win a prize if they only match five. Each jackpot starts at $7 million and increases after every drawing if there is no winner.

What are the best numbers for the California Lottery? ›

After breaking down the statistics, KTLA figured out that the numbers being drawn the most within the California Super Lotto were 15, 6, 25, 34, and 13.

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