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Community Corner

Hamden Resident Claims "Unbelievable" Lottery Prize Worth $5,000 a Month for Life

Just imagine for a second what it would feel like to scratch an instant lottery ticket and discover a “WIN FOR LIFE” prize symbol beneath your number match worth $5,000 a month for life.  For Laura Coleman, 28, of Hamden, Connecticut’s newest “Win for Life 19th Edition” top prize winner, the moment was simply unbelievable.

“The first number that I scratched on the ticket showed that I won the top prize, and I just stopped scratching.  I mean, why scratch the rest?  There’s no other prize that could be more than that!” said Coleman with a smile that grew larger with each passing second.  “I just didn’t believe it!”

Win for Life is one of the CT Lottery’s most popular instant games offered because the value of its top prize is based on the longevity of its winner.  The Win for Life 19th Edition’s top prize is paid as $5,000 a month for life with guaranteed minimum total payout of $1,200,000, or as a one-time cash option payment of $1,000,000. 

Coleman opted to claim the game’s top prize paid in $5,000 a month for the rest of her life.  She received a prize check for $3,406 (value after taxes) at CT Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill—the first of many more checks to come in the future.

“I have no plans of what I’ll do with the prize,” Coleman told lottery officials.  “This is still sinking in…it’s unbelievable!”

For selling Coleman her prize winning Win for Life 19th Edition instant ticket, Sammy Deli at 863 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden will receive a $12,000 bonus check from the CT Lottery.
 
Sales began for the Win for Life 19th Edition game on April 8.  The overall chances of winning a prize are 1 in 4.19.  Of the 5 top prizes in the game, 1 remains to be claimed.

The CT Lottery reminds the public that purchasers must be 18 or older, and to please play responsibly.  For information about the CT Lottery, call (860) 713-2700, visit ctlottery.org or join us on Facebook (facebook.com/CTLottery) and Twitter (twitter.com/ctlottery).

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