Texas Lottery officials say a woman in Mesquite claimed a second-tier prize of $1 million during a scratch-off game of Instant Millionaire.
The ticket, bought by Theresia Carty, was purchased at Best for Less at 1066 Pioneer Road in Mesquite.
“It was an overwhelming feeling of disbelief, but a feeling of total happiness,” Carty said about the winning experience. “I kept staring at it [the ticket], read the game instructions to make sure I really won, and then I called my husband, who was still at work.”
Carty told the Texas Lottery that this isn’t the first time luck has struck for her when playing scratch ticket games. She said she previously won smaller prizes, including a $500 prize.
With her latest prize winnings, Carty told the lottery she planned to pay off bills, invest and set up a trust for her three sons.
Carty claimed the 19th of 40 second-tier prizes worth $1 million in the game. Instant Millionaire offers more than $519 million in total prizes, including 10 top prizes of $2.5 million. Overall odds of winning any prize in the game are one in 3.20, including break-even prizes.
