A homeless man from San Luis Obispo, California, is getting a second chance and can finally afford a place to call home. A customer went into Sandy’s Liquor and purchased a lottery scratcher ticket. According to the store owner, Wilson Samaan, a longtime customer who is homeless, purchased the ticket. The store owner shared that the man did not wish to speak to the public about his victory. Samaan, however, could not contain his joy for the man.
Lottery Scratch Off Being Verified
“I was so excited — even more than him,” Samaan told local media. “He’s a good person, he deserves every penny. … I was very excited it happened to a person who deserved it, and he actually needed it.”
The homeless man‘s win is now being verified by the state lottery. Sandy’s Liquor shared an image of the big win on its Instagram page. In the post, the store congratulated its “loyal customer.” Samaan shared that this event was the biggest lottery win his store has ever had. As the retailer, the store will receive $5,000.
Store Owner Friends With Winner
Samaan shares that over the past few years, he has gotten to know the winner well. He has even trusted him to watch the store while he restocked shelves. He adds that he has offered the man a job in the past, but he had to turn him down because he has a bad knee that has left him unable to do manual labor.
“He’s a good, trustful person,” Samaan said. The man found out that he won $1 million while he was in the store a week ago. “He’s like, ‘Wilson, come over here, is that true, is that real?’” Samaan recollected. “I scanned it and I’m like, ‘Bro, you hit the jackpot!’’”
He Did Not Realize He Won $1 Million
When the man first heard he had won, he thought that he had won $1,000, which was a big deal to him, but Samaan told him that he had won far more than that.“He said he’s not going to waste the second chance he got gifted, so he’s gonna buy a car and a small house. Then, for the rest of the money, he’s going to invest or find a business,” Samaan said.
Winning is a 1 in 2.47 Million Chance
A spokesperson for the California Lottery said that the lottery had not yet validated the winner. She said that the verification process can take several weeks. However, she did confirm that a Triple Red 777 scratcher for $1 million had been sold at Sandy’s Liquor in San Luis Obispo earlier this month.
“We never announce winners until the claims and vetting process is over,” Becker said. The chance of winning is one in 2.47 million of playing the Triple Red 777 game. According to the California Lottery, the odds of winning cash prizes are 1 in 2.92. The Triple Red 777’s top prize is $1 million.
