Windsor Man Celebrates "Happy Holidays" with $25,000 Prize Winning Ticket

Brian Smith of Windsor has plenty to celebrate this holiday season, and he has a CT Lottery retailer to thank for it.

“I told the clerk to pick out any two $5 tickets he wanted—he handed me two ‘Happy Holidays’ scratch tickets. When my wife, Donna, scratched the ticket, I heard her gasp for air; there were tears in her eyes. She gave me the ticket and asked me to read the instructions,” said Smith with a laugh. “I saw the $25,000 prize and screamed.”

Brian and Donna arrived at Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill recently to share in the joy of claiming their $25,000 top prize winning ticket together. “I’m still shocked,” said Smith while eyeing his over-sized, souvenir winner check for $25,000. “We’re in the process of redoing our house right now. This will give us more money to do more things for the family, including taking a trip to Disney World next Christmas!”

For selling Smith his top prize winning ticket, 7 Eleven Store, located at 3041 Main Street in Glastonbury, will receive a $250 bonus check from the CT Lottery.

The overall chances of winning a Happy Holidays prize are 1 in 3.87. Of the 4 top prizes in the game, 3 remain 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).