Across state, Florida Lottery winners hit it big in March; Mega Millions now at $511M

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — It was a lucky month for lottery players across Florida, with several winners turning scratch-off tickets into life-changing payouts in March.

One of those winners is Monica Rubio, 49, of Sunny Isles, who struck it big with a top prize from the $10,000 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off game. She claimed her prize at the Florida Lottery’s Miami District Office on March 10 and opted to take the lump-sum payout of $7,752,000. Rubio picked up her winning ticket at a Publix on Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami Beach.

For just $20, the game gives players a shot at winning $10,000 a week for life, with more than $225 million in total cash prizes up for grabs and overall odds of 1 in 2.96.

Further north, Cynthia Price, 68, of Beverly Hills, also had a reason to celebrate. She claimed her top prize from the $2,500 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on March 18. Price chose a one-time lump-sum payment of $1,949,000. Her winning ticket came from a 7-Eleven in Lecanto.

Further north, Cynthia Price, 68, of Beverly Hills, also had a reason to celebrate. She claimed her top prize from the $2,500 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on March 18. Price chose a one-time lump-sum payment of $1,949,000. Her winning ticket came from a 7Eleven in Lecanto. (Florida Lottery)

The $5 game offers four top prizes of $2,500 a week for life, along with more than $106.2 million in total cash prizes. The odds of winning are 1 in 3.96.

Meanwhile, in the Panhandle, Paul Cich, 61, of DeFuniak Springs, turned a $20 scratch-off ticket into a $5 million win. He claimed his prize from the 200X THE CASH game at Lottery Headquarters on March 27 and chose a lump-sum payout of $2,779,400. Cich bought the winning ticket at a Tom Thumb store in DeFuniak Springs.

Meanwhile, in the Panhandle, Paul Cich, 61, of DeFuniak Springs, turned a $20 scratch-off ticket into a $5 million win. He claimed his prize from the 200X THE CASH game at Lottery Headquarters on March 27 and chose a lump-sum payout of $2,779,400. Cich bought the winning ticket at a Tom Thumb store in DeFuniak Springs. (Florida Lottery)

The 200X THE CASH game is designed for players chasing bigger prizes, offering more than 6.9 million winning tickets and over $313 million in total prizes, with overall odds of 1 in 2.96.

Under Florida law, lottery winners’ names and hometowns are public record and can be released 90 days after they claim their prizes.

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And if you’re feeling lucky, there’s another chance to win big this week.

The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to an estimated $511 million, with a cash option of $231 million, ahead of Tuesday night’s drawing. The next drawing is set for 11 p.m., and players will need to purchase tickets at local retailers before the cutoff time for a shot at the growing prize.

The Florida Lottery says its games have contributed more than $51 billion to education since it began, helping send more than one million students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.