Five players in California won a total of $7 million after purchasing Scratchers tickets at various retailers across the state, including Southern California.
California lottery officials confirmed that the winning tickets were sold statewide and were worth between $1 million and $2 million.
The wave of winners begins in San Diego County, where Victor Varela won $1,000,000 on the Scratcher Winter Riches ticket. The winning ticket was sold at a Vallarta store in National City.
In Sherman Oaks, Ramón Torres won $1,000,000 playing a 50X Fortune Scratchers ticket at the Union 76 gas station on Van Nuys Boulevard.
A convenience store in a small town in the Central Valley also sold a winning ticket. Luis Cruz won $1,000,000 playing a Fastrip Winter Riches Scratchers ticket in Mendota, Fresno County.
In the Bay Area, two lucky players each won top prizes of $2,000,000.
The lucky winner invested $30 in the Scratch-Off. The probability of winning this amount of money is one in three million.
Van Le bought the ticket, Instant Price Crossword, in a group of four, at the Way Way Market store in Liquor in Oakland.
Meanwhile, Teddy Young also pocketed $2,000,000 with an Instant Prize Crossword Scratchers ticket. This ticket was sold at Wine Fountaine in San Jose.
Varela, who went private, bought his winning ticket at a supermarket in Vallarta, but was not a winner at that chain store.
A Whittier store sold a Scratchers ticket worth $5 million in April last year.
“Our stores see an increase in traffic, especially during jackpots, when customers come in hoping to buy the winning ticket,” said Lizette Gomez, director of marketing for Vallarta Supermarkets.