Homeless couple wins $1 million in California but must wait for the payout.

Summary

• A homeless man in San Luis Obispo, California, won $1,000,000 from a scratch-off lottery game.
• The winning ticket, sold at Sandy's Deli-Liquor Store, will enable the man to transform his life.
• The chance of winning the Red 777 Scratcher game is 1 in 2,047,423.

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A husband and wife in California might soon find a way off the streets and leave behind their life of sleeping rough, thanks to the husband's newfound fortune from winning a seven-figure lottery prize. The California Lottery has noted, however, that this promising story is still unfolding.

A homeless man wins $1m, his ticket off the streets

The unnamed winner, who purchased a ticket at Sandy’s Deli-Liquor Store in San Luis Obispo, California, will need to wait several months before claiming his $1,000,000 prize from the Red 777 Scratcher game. With odds of winning set at 1 in 2,047,423, it's particularly remarkable that the prize went to someone in desperate need of the money. According to California Lottery spokesperson Caroline Becker, such delays are standard procedure as the lottery processes up to 10,000 claims each month, which can take some time.

she explained. For the homeless man and his wife, this win means escaping another month on the streets and having the opportunity to return to a stable life, with the prize money facilitating their access to housing and possibly steady employment. The story is both compelling and touching. Wilson Samaan, the manager of the store where the ticket was purchased, was happy to talk to Cal Coastal News, one of the outlets covering the story. He described the winner as a who but chose not to reveal any more about his identity. Samaan recounted the moment the winner discovered he had won.

Lottery would need up to a few months to distribute the prize

The individual went to the store to purchase a ticket and immediately scratched it off. To his astonishment, he initially misinterpreted his prize, believing he had won $100,000. He approached Samaan for confirmation, asking if he was reading it correctly. The manager quickly corrected him, saying,

Overjoyed, the winner exclaimed, and the two shared a high five. Even though the winner and his wife would need to wait a while before claiming the prize, he is already planning for the future. He intends to put a down payment on a home in the area and buy a car. Footage of the winner is available, as he spoke with another local business owner who recorded the conversation with his consent and shared it on Instagram. In the video, a tall man in a blue sweatshirt with a thick beard holds a printout of the winning ticket and discusses his plans to no longer be homeless.