A Korean American won a $1 million scratcher prize, and the winning ticket came from a liquor store near LA Koreatown that had been run by a Korean owner until just 15 days earlier.
The California Lottery announced on November17th that Jeong Hwa Seo won the Triple Red 777 scratcher jackpot. The ticket was purchased earlier this year at Lee’s Liquor (1800 W. 6th Street) in the Westlake District, near Koreatown. The store had been operated by a Korean owner until 15 days before the announcement, but the current owner is non-Korean.
The exact purchase date was not disclosed, only that it occurred relatively recently. Under California Lottery rules, the winner’s name and the purchase location must be made public, while all remaining personal information can be withheld at the winner’s request.
The “Triple Red 777” scratcher sells for $10 and offers a maximum prize of $1 million. According to the California Lottery, the odds of winning the top prize are about 1 in 2.04 million, similar to the odds of flipping a coin 21 times in a row and landing heads each time, which is about 1 in 2.09 million.
BY YOONSEO SONG [song.yoonseo@koreadaily.com]
