Gila Bend Resident Claims First Lucky Life Scratchers(R) Top Prize Winning Ticket

PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - Feb 12, 2014) - The Arizona Lottery announces that the first Lucky Life top prize Scratchers ticket has been claimed by a Gila Bend resident.

Maria Guadalupe Gomez purchased her $1 Lucky Life winning ticket from Love's Country Store, 820 W. Pima Road, Gila Bend, which turned out to be a top prize winning ticket of $500 a week for 20 years. Gomez elected to take the lump sum option of $338,000 before taxes.

Gomez, who cleans offices for a living, purchased a Lucky Life ticket at each price point offered because she liked the idea of winning money over a certain period of time. When she scratched the $1 ticket, she woke her son up to tell him the news and had him double-check the ticket. Gomez said this win will allow her to buy a house, which is a blessing for her and her family.

"Lucky Life has been extremely popular with our players, since each price point offers the highest top prizes ever for Scratchers tickets in Arizona," said Karen Bach, director of budget, products and communications for the Arizona Lottery. "We look forward to presenting more top prize winning checks to Arizona players in the coming months."

Lucky Life offers a full range of tickets, with a chance to win up to $5,000 a week for 20 years. Winners also can choose a lump sum option. The Lucky Life series includes a Second Chance Drawing for non-winning tickets, with a chance to win up to $100,000.

Players must be 21 years or older to purchase or redeem tickets. Winners have 180 days from the drawing date to claim their prize at an Arizona Lottery office or by mail. Overall odds vary by game. All sales are final. In accordance with the ADA, these materials may be made available in an alternative format. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.NEXT STEP (1-800-639-8783). Please Play Responsibly™. Scratchers® is a registered service mark of the California Lottery.

About the Arizona Lottery
The Arizona Lottery operates entirely from the revenue it generates through the sale of its products; it receives no General Fund dollars from the State. Proceeds from sales of Lottery tickets -- nearly $3.4 million per week -- fund a variety of state programs. Since July 1981, the Arizona Lottery has paid out more than $5.4 billion in prizes to players, more than $3 billion in net funding to the state and more than $638 million in commissions to retailers.