Two Calfornia Lottery players won a total of $6 million from scratchers games, state lottery officials announced Thursday.
One player, Alec Bucur, won $5 million after purchasing a Millionaire Bucks Scratchers ticket game from a Chevron gas station in Orange County.
The lucky retailer, located at 5425 Alton Parkway in Irvine, received a $25,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Bucur took home the scratcher game’s top prize after coming up with a plan to win big the next time he played the lottery.
“I wanted to know how much the last winning ticket sold was worth and what number it was in the stack of Scratchers,” Bucur told lottery officials. “I found out someone won five hundred bucks in the stack, and it was ticket number five.”
After the conversation, the newly minted millionaire decided to only buy the fifth scratchers ticket in hopes of winning a big prize. His opportunity to buy the ticket came after visiting the gas station after having dinner with his family.
Bucur discovered he had won the game’s top prize after he scratched the ticket when he got home.
“Number five in the series was worth five million dollars. I was just gunning for it, and now I’m a multimillionaire.” Bucur said in a statement. “I don’t need a Ferrari. I don’t need a mansion. I’m not a spender. I’m going to do some traveling and let this money grow.”
In addition to Bucur’s win, another California Lottery player, Jose Sanchez, won $1 million after playing the Power 10’s scratchers game.
Sanchez purchased the winning ticket at Shahkot Gas & Market, located at 1727 E. Dyer Road in Santa Ana.
So far this year, 36 California Lottery players have become millionaires, according to state lottery officials.
