Anthony Yates
Only a tiny percentage of lottery players will ever hit a jackpot, let alone win enough cash to break even on tickets and scratchcards. However, one man from Connecticut beat incredible odds by snagging two huge prizes just months apart.
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What happened: According to a news release by CT Lottery, Shelley Suttles from Bridgeport tried his luck with an Ultimate 7’s scratch card last month. He told the lottery officials he was running errands and decided to buy the ticket at the checkout.
- Suttles explained that he “almost passed out” when he realized how much money he had won. “I scratched off the box and saw a million dollars. I’ve never seen a million dollars on a ticket before,” he said. “I picked up the phone and told my sister, and she started screaming. She couldn’t believe it either.”
- The CT Lottery reveals that Suttles purchased his winning ticket from Grand Package Store on Main St. in Bridgeport. The organization also rewarded the shop $10,000 for selling the ticket.
Lottery Officials Are Now Stopping The Ultimate 7’s Game
All top prizes claimed: CT Lottery explains that the $1 million claimed by Suttles was the last top prize in the wild. Instead of printing new tickets, the lottery will retire the game. The news release notes that any Ultimate 7’s prizes must be claimed by March 29, 2026.
- Lottery officials also revealed that the September jackpot wasn’t the Bridgeport man’s only bit of good luck this year. He also won $100,000 playing Cash5 in the summer and said he wanted to use the cash to pay off his bills. Suttles also intends to donate some money to the church.
Another double win: A Virginia woman won the grand prize on a ‘$100,000 A Year’ scratch card earlier this year. She bought the card from Food Lion on Hargett Boulevard in Gloucester and collected her winnings as a lump sum of $816,000 before taxes.
- Oletha Etheridge explained to lottery officials that the scratch card was her second win. She claimed her first jackpot 40 years ago, claiming $25,000.
- Etheridge said she plans to buy an “affordable Corvette” with her winnings and add some rooms to her house. She also revealed that her previous win secured the property she now lives in.
