A Mountain View man gave hope to the thousands of people who religiously purchase Scratchers games for years after he scored $7.5 million on one after buying them for nearly two decades, California Lottery officials said Thursday.
Joel McCauley regularly headed into Mountain View's Liquor, Tobacco & More shop on Rengstorff Avenue to buy Scratchers on his way to work.
"After purchasing and playing a game, he'll scan it in the store to check if it's a winner, then head out to his truck and off to work," said a spokesperson for the lottery.
At first, McCauley thought he had won $7,500. He had hit wins of $10,000 a few times before, he said. But he was astonished to realize he had actually won $7.5 million.
"So, I turned my truck around and took the ticket home to leave it there," the California Lottery quoted him as saying.
McCauley apparently went along with his day as usual, reporting to work. He doesn't plan on quitting his job, the lottery said.
"Instead, he intends to invest his winnings and keep driving his truck to work every day," the California Lottery stated.
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