Newington Store Sells Million Dollar Lottery Winner

NEWINGTON, CT — A resident of the Kensington section of Berlin is starting off 2017 right with a massive $1,000,000 top prize in the "Star Platinum Play" game, according to a written statement from the CT Lottery.

Michael Paul has been waiting to claim his winning ticket after playing it at a Newington store right before Thanksgiving. He took some time to think over his options as he decided to take the top prize lump sum valued at $774,740.

“I don’t play it that often. I scratched it off, got the little symbol - it said one million!” exclaimed Paul, who scratched the ticket in the retailer.

After using the Ticket Checker, he said, “’Oh gosh!’ I stood in front of the [Ticket Checker] and the first thing I thought was, ‘That’s a life changer!’”

Paul nonchalantly texted his wife, Michele, with the fantastic news. “I’ve got a little money coming in,” the message said. She responded with a laugh, “That’s not real!” Soon, the rest of the family was told of Paul’s amazing win over the holidays.

The Kensington resident works hard at his own small business and is very thankful for some extra cash. However, Paul told Lottery officials that he plans to give back to his community and donate some of the winnings to charity.

When asked if he would treat himself, Paul took a second to ponder and replied with a beaming smile, “I need a new car.”

For selling the winning ticket, Your Store Deli, located on 137 Kelsey Street in Newington, will receive a $10,000 check from the CT Lottery.

Photo and video courtesy of CT Lottery