TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Polk County woman has become Florida’s newest multimillionaire after winning the $5 million top prize in the Florida Lottery’s GOLD RUSH LIMITED Scratch-Off game, officials announced Friday.
Helen Mathews, 59, of Lake Wales, claimed the prize at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee and chose a one-time lump-sum payment of $3.96 million. She purchased the winning ticket from Murphy USA, located at 2048 Sam Walton Way in Lake Wales. The retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus commission for selling the ticket.
GOLD RUSH LIMITED is a $20 Scratch-Off game that launched in 2021 and offers 32 top prizes of $5 million and 100 prizes of $1 million. The game also includes more than 33,000 prizes ranging from $1,000 to $100,000. The overall odds of winning are 1 in 2.65.
Scratch-Off tickets make up the majority of sales for the Florida Lottery, accounting for approximately 74 percent of all tickets sold in fiscal year 2023-2024. Since launching its first games, the Lottery has awarded more than $98.6 billion in prizes and created more than 4,200 millionaires.
Lottery proceeds support education statewide through the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. Since 1988, the Florida Lottery has contributed more than $48 billion to public education, including funding for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
Key Points
- Helen Mathews of Lake Wales won $5 million playing GOLD RUSH LIMITED
- She accepted a one-time payment of $3.96 million
- The retailer received a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket