The Florida Lottery recently announced that Gerry Collins of Port Charlotte won the top prize of $5 million in The Perfect Gift scratch-off game.
The Charlotte County woman chose to receive her $2,989,062 prize in one lump sum payment.
The Southwest Florida winner bought her winning ticket at Publix, which is located at 24051 Peachland Boulevard in Port Charlotte. The retailer was awarded an additional $10,000 commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.
She collected her winnings at the Fort Myers District Office of the Florida Lottery.
The Perfect Gift scratch-off game costs $20 and offers over $178 million in total cash prizes, including four top prizes of $5 million. According to the Florida Lottery, there are only two top prizes remaining.
The game’s overall winning odds are 1 in 2.79.
Scratch-off games are a key part of the lottery’s portfolio, accounting for around 74% of ticket sales in fiscal year 2023-2024. Furthermore, since their establishment, scratch-off games have awarded more than $65.5 billion in prizes, created 2,283 millionaires, and raised more than $19.80 billion for the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).
The Florida Lottery has contributed $48 billion to education and sent over 983,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery returns 99 percent of its money to the state’s economy in the form of prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,600 lottery stores, and educational transfers. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid out over $98.6 billion in prizes and produced more than 4,200 millionaires.
