DAYTONA BEACH — A stop at a gas station convenience store made one Florida Lottery player a multimillionaire.
John Eichinger Jr. hit a $15 million jackpot with a $30 scratch-off ticket he bought at Wawa for the $15,000,000 Gold Rush Multiplier game, the Florida Lottery announced March 19.
The Volusia County winner faced odds slimmer than 1 in 5,000,000 of winning one of four huge top prizes in the game, which debuted in September, lottery records show.
The 53-year-old claimed his prize at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee, opting for a one-time payout of $8,968,000, according to lottery officials.
His ticket came from a Wawa at 1031 Dunlawton Ave. in Port Orange, where the store received $30,000 for selling the lucky ticket.
Port Orange is part of the Daytona Beach metropolitan area.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
By OLIVIA LLOYD/McClatchy News
Olivia Lloyd is a National Real-Time Reporter for McClatchy covering the Southeast. She is based in South Florida and graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Previously, she has worked for Hearst DevHub and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.