Florida's Fantasy 5
Last Updated: Friday 16th January 2015, 10:05
antasy 5 is a game where players pick five numbers between 1 and 36. The top prize, which is generally around the $200,000 mark, is won by the player who correctly gets all five numbers drawn. Because this game is played daily, prizes are rolled down rather than rolled over. So, if there is no player with all five numbers, the prize will be shared between those with four out of five numbers. Anyone matching just two numbers receives a free ticket for the next draw.
The Florida Lottery has announced that it's Fantasy 5 jackpot on 16 September was won by a store manager from Miami, Florida. The manager, Tomas Santana, is 29 years old and he scooped the top prize of $271,753.
Santana bought his winning Fantasy 5 ticket from a nearby grocery store in Miami. As well as having the kudos that goes with selling the top prize-winning ticket, the store itself receives a bonus of $500.
Whilst some lottery winners only find out about their good fortune a day or two after the event, Santana enjoyed watching the experience unfold in real time as he watched the live Saturday night draw on television.
"I watch the drawings every night," Santana said, "because when you play the Lottery so many years you know you can expect to win something."
Expect to win, maybe. But when that expectation is met in full, it still comes as quite a shock.
"I still couldn't believe it at first," Santana admits. "I turned on the light and looked at the ticket again. Then I started to wonder how much I had won and I found out I was the only winner."
Santana put the lucky ticket in his wallet for safekeeping, but continually found himself checking to make sure it was still there. And who can blame him? After all, you can do quite a lot with over $270,000. Santana himself plans to buy a "little house" and share this good fortune with family and friends.