Lottery player won $20,000 on scratch-off in 2008. Latest prize is much, much bigger

A Texas lottery player had an “Aha” moment after winning big with a scratch-off ticket for the second time.

Already having won $20,000 in 2008, a Dripping Springs resident tried their luck again by purchasing a ticket in the Texas Lottery’s $1,000,000 Crossword game, officials said in a news release.

The ticket was the jackpot winner.

“I didn’t believe it,” the player said, according to lottery officials. “I thought there was a mistake, because I couldn’t find the tenth word. My tenth word was ‘Aha.’ I called a friend to verify. I thought if I couldn’t find the tenth word, the prize would be $20,000 instead of $1 million — which still would have been a good prize.”

The $1,000,000 Crossword game offers eight jackpot prizes, with odds of 1-in-2,385,000 of finding that lucky ticket.

The lottery player, who chose to remain anonymous, sees their latest win as a life-changing prize.

“If I’m frugal, I should be able to live work-free for the rest of my life,” the player told lottery officials.

Dripping Springs is about 25 miles southwest of Austin.

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