$1 Million Florida Lottery Prize Claimed By Fort Lauderdale Man

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A 54-year-old Fort Lauderdale man won the top prize from THE FASTEST ROAD TO $1,000,000 scratch-off game, the Florida Lottery said in a news release.

Christopher Richards chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $790,000. He claimed his prize using a secured drop box at Florida Lottery's headquarters in Tallahassee.

Richards said he didn’t tell his teenage daughter about his win before claiming his prize.

''I'm going to surprise her by setting up a trust fund in her name, ensuring she can go to college, and getting her a reliable vehicle,'' he told Florida Lottery. ''As a parent, you always want to give your kids more than you had and now I can''

Richards purchased his winning ticket from Legends Pub located at 6235 North Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. The pub will receive a $2,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

THE FASTEST ROAD TO $1,000,000, a $30 game, launched in February and features 155 top prizes of $1 million and more than $948 million in cash prizes total. The game's overall odds of winning are one-in-2.79.