Jose Fernandes of Woburn turned a quick stop at a Melrose gas station into a life-changing payday, snagging the first $4 million grand prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s new $4,000,000 Cash Doubler scratch game. Lottery officials say the ticket, bought at the Mobil on Main Street in Melrose, instantly catapulted him into millionaire territory. Fernandes opted for the cash option, taking a one-time payment of $2.6 million before taxes, and told lottery officials he plans to put the windfall toward buying a house.
Winner Chose Lump Sum
According to Boston 25 News, the Massachusetts Lottery confirmed that Fernandes selected the lump-sum payout rather than stretching the prize over an annuity. That decision locked in a one-time pre-tax payment of $2.6 million and officially made him the first $4 million grand-prize winner for the Cash Doubler game.
Ticket Sold In Melrose; Retailer Gets Bonus
The winning ticket came from the Mobil station on Main Street in Melrose, a spot that just became every scratch-off player’s new favorite detour. The retailer will collect a $40,000 bonus for selling the prize-winning ticket, according to Patch. The hefty bonus adds to a recent run of big scratch-off payouts reported across Massachusetts.
Game Still Holds Two $4M Top Prizes
The $4,000,000 Cash Doubler game only hit shelves last month and still has two more $4 million instant grand prizes waiting to be claimed, per Boston 25 News. It is a $10 scratch ticket with multiple prize tiers, a setup that has helped fuel a run of attention-grabbing jackpot headlines. AOL reports the game went on sale just last month.
Another Big Winner This Week
Fernandes is not the only Bay Stater cashing in on instant luck this week. The Lottery also announced a separate $2 million instant-ticket win by a Nantucket resident, a reminder that these new scratch-off games are already generating multiple major payouts, according to Patch. That winner also chose the cash option and walked away with roughly $1.3 million before taxes…