Media

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

CONTACT: FLORIDA LOTTERY COMMUNICATIONS

(850) 487-7727

communications@flalottery.com

GILCHRIST COUNTY WOMAN RUINS DINNER
CELEBRATING HER $500,000 WIN

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Lottery announces that Kristina Ritchey, 29, of Bell, claimed a $500,000 top prize from the 20X CROSSWORD Scratch-Off game using a secured drop box located at the Gainesville District Office. She purchased her winning ticket from Country Quick Shop, located at 869 South Main Street in Bell.

Ritchey was cooking dinner when she stopped to scratch the ticket. "When I realized I had won, I ran to tell my fiance. We were both so excited that I completely forgot about the food and ended up burning our dinner - it was worth it though! I've always said if I ever won the Lottery, I would buy a house, and now I can."

The $5 game, 20X CROSSWORD, launched in July 2020 and features over $113 million in total cash prizes! The game's overall odds of winning are one-in-3.99.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery's portfolio of games, comprising approximately 75 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $1 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2019-20.

Florida Lottery offices are currently open to the public by appointment only for players with prizes valued at $600 or more. Players can request a claim appointment at Headquarters and district offices through the Lottery's website, at www.flalottery.com/howToClaim. Players can still utilize the secured drop box located at each district office or mail tickets to Florida Lottery Headquarters or a district office.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $39 billion to enhance education and sending more than 880,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Lottery retailers and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $75.6 billion in prizes and made more than 3,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.

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