W-i-n-n-e-r! Palm Bay woman gets $1 million from Florida Lottery Cashword scratch-off game

For one Brevard County woman, a $20 scratch-off ticket really paid off.

The Florida Lottery announced Jordan Kowalak, 40, of Palm Bay claimed $1 million from the "$5,000,000 Cashword" scratch-off game. Kowalak chose to receive her winnings as a lump-sum payment of $780,000, the site states, adding she bought the scratch-off from Race Trac, 8630 S. U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie. The store gets something, too: It will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket, the Florida Lottery said.

Below are things to know about the game.

How much does it cost to play the $5,000,000 Cashword lottery game?

It costs $20 to play the scratch-off game $5,000,000 Cashword. Crossword puzzle fans will be pleased to see correlations between the beloved word game and the lottery scratcher.

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How do you play the $5,000,000 Cashword lottery scratch-offs?

In many scratch-off games, players see if their scratch-off ticket matched any of the winning numbers, winning the prize shown for that number. For $5,000,000 Cashword, players get letters instead of numbers. Florida Lottery rules state:

• Scratch the letters box to reveal 20 letters.

• See if the letters in game 1 and game 2 match any of the letters. The letters in both games will turn white when scratched.

• If players matched three or more words in game 1, they win the corresponding prize in the prize description for the total number of words matched in game 1.

• If players matched three or more words in game 2, they win the corresponding prize for the total number of words matched in game 2.

• Players can win in both games.

What are the odds for $5,000,000 Cashword?

The game's overall odds of winning are 1-in-2.91, according to the Florida Lottery.

Best news ever for a Florida grandma. "Nana, you didn’t win $100,000, you won $1 million!"

List of Cashword winners from Florida

This list includes winners from Florida Lottery's $2,000,000 Cashword and $5,000,000 Cashword scratch-off games.

• In December 2019, 73-year-old Linda Zimmerman of Jacksonville won a top prize via a $2,000,000 Cashword ticket. According to the Florida Times-Union, Zimmerman chose to receive her winnings as a lump-sum payment of $1,475,000 and bought her $10 ticket from Day N’ Nite Food Store in Jacksonville.

• In August 2020, Joann Fink, 55, of Ocala, won the $2 million top prize from the Cashword scratch-off game. According to the Ocala Star-Banner, Fink chose to receive her winnings as a lump-sum of $1,475,000, and bought the ticket at Maricamp Qwik King Food Store in Ocala.

• In August 2021, Wilma Todd, 69, of Jacksonville said she knew she had won big in the $5,000,000 Cashword scratch-off game, but not $1 million big. She thought she won $100,000, according to the Florida Lottery. A Florida Times-Union story reports Todd “scratched my ticket just before going into work that morning. After work, I picked up my granddaughter and handed her my ticket. She turned to me and said, ‘Nana, you didn’t win $100,000, you won $1 million!’ Needless to say I was in complete shock.” Todd bought the $20 ticket from Jones Road General Store in Jacksonville and chose to receive a lump-sum of $780,000, according to the Times-Union.

• In November 2021, 56-year-old Dawn Lamb of Jacksonville matched 11 words with her letters to win a $1 million prize from the $5,000,000 Cashword game. "Scrap" and "cast" were among the words revealed, according to a Florida Times-Union story. Lamb bought the $20 ticket from Arlington Discount Beverage in Jacksonville.

• In April 2022, Muoi Phung of Jacksonville claimed a $1 million prize via $5,000,000 Cashword.

• In April 2023, Geraldine Gimblet bought the last $2,000,000 Bonus Cashword Scratch-Off ticket at a store in Lakeland. Gimblet told USA TODAY she spent her savings to support her daughter, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She won the lottery just a day after her daughter received her last cancer treatment.

• In July 2023, Jordan Kowalak, 40, of Palm Bay claimed $1 million from $5,000,000 Cashword. Kowalak chose to receive a lump-sum of $780,000, and bought the scratch-off from Race Trac in Port St. Lucie.

How much can you win playing a $5,000,000 Cashword scratch-off ticket?

The $20 Florida Lottery scratch-off game, $5,000,000 Cashword, launched in May 2020 and features eight top prizes of $5 million and 24 second-tier prizes of $1 million, the site states. Prizes range from $20 to $5,000,000. As of July 16, 2023, the Florida Lottery site shows zero top prizes remaining, but three $1 million prizes remain.

Can I buy Florida lottery tickets online?

No. Some states have this option via an app or website, but not the Florida Lottery. Tickets cannot be purchased by mail, fax or online. There are more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers here, the site states.

When do Florida lottery tickets expire?

Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it. Florida Lottery says its scratch-off tickets and Fast Play game prizes "must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire."

What happens to the unclaimed prize money?

According to the Florida Lottery, state law requires 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings.

Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous?

According to Florida Lottery's website, winners cannot remain anonymous: "Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner's name, city of residencem game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information."

However, the site states, since May 25, 2022, the "names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner."

Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida Lottery, Cashword winners from Jacksonville, Ocala, Palm Bay