A lucky Alabama man wins $2.44 million recently in scratch off lottery

An Alabama man turned $5 into $2.44 million after winning the top prize in the Florida Lottery’s $150,000 A Year For Life scratch-off game.

Gary Thomas, 49, of Dothan, opted for the lump-sum payment of $2.44 million instead of being paid $150,000 a year for life, the Florida Lottery said in a statement.

Thomas purchased the winning ticket at Lotto Discount Liquor in Campbellton, Florida -- about 20 miles from Dothan. “It’s still sinking in,” Thomas told lottery officials after claiming his prize at the agency’s headquarters in Tallahassee.

“I couldn’t believe it! I still can’t believe it!” The $150,000 A Year For Life game has overall odds of 1-in-3.95. More than 9.5 winning tickets have been sold and the lottery has paid out $132.6 million in cash prized from the scratch-off game.

Scratch-off tickets like the winning one bought by Thomas account for 72 percent of Florida lottery ticket sales this fiscal year.

The scratch-off tickets have generated $18.09 billion for Florida’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.