For one Cape Coral Realtor, summer just got a lot brighter.
The Florida Lottery announced Thursday that 57-year-old Darren Martini has claimed the $41 million jackpot from a drawing held on Dec. 24 at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Martini declined to talk about this story.
Here’s what we know about the jackpot and behind-the-scenes facts about the Florida Lottery:
Lee County’s last winner Jackpots! Bonita Springs woman claims share of $494 million Mega Millions prize
Learn more about the Mega Millions Winning Mega Millions ticket sold at Fort Myers 7-Eleven. Jackpot was $494 million
How much does the winner actually take home?
The longtime local and agent with Starlink Reality chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $24,559,932.33.
Where was the ticket purchased?
Martini purchased his jackpot-winning Florida Lotto Quick Pick ticket from Publix, located at 3015 Pine Island Road Southwest in Cape Coral. The retailer will receive a bonus commission of $100,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Who else has won the lottery in Lee County recently?
Lee County has seen its fair share of lottery winners within the past six months, with Pamela Baker of Bonita Springs claiming her share of the $494 million Mega Millions jackpot of an October drawing back in February. The jackpot-winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven, located at 2980 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers.
Back in October, the News-Press spoke with the sellers, Anil and Mona Rawal, of the winning ticket, saying the winner had not revealed themselves but they were happy for whoever won the ticket. They added they were especially excited for the winner to receive the money since it was so soon after Hurricane Ian had hit on Sept. 28.
What advice do financial planners have for lottery winners?
Fort Myers CFP, CTFA Arlene R. Foreman spoke with The News-Press Thursday about what lottery winners should do once they realize they’ve won a jackpot.
First, it’s all about “mum’s word”, she says. While it may be a temptation to show it to family or friends, she advises winners not to say anything to anyone and to put the ticket in a safe location until they know their plan.
In the meantime, she recommends putting together a team to plan out your next steps and tackle quick decisions. With the referrals, this team consists of an estate planning attorney, a certified financial planner, and a certified public accountant.
Advising how to make the last money, she said: “Don’t spend it.” Many winners might be thinking it’s time to get that new car they’ve always wanted or they can plan out a grand vacation. She encourages forming a solid financial plan with a team before spending any of the money.
Lastly, remember not saying anything to anyone? Once the news got out about the win, she said to be prepared for unexpected relatives, friends, neighbors, and more to show up out of the woodwork. Some might be expecting some of the earnings, so stay alert.
How do I play the Florida Lottery?
To play, officials online advise those to visit any Florida Lottery retail location and either use a new Florida Lotto digital or paper play slip to choose your numbers, Quick Pick, make other play selections or tell the retailer. Each play slip contains 10 panels (AJ).
In each panel played:
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Select six numbers from 1 through 53 or mark the QP (Quick Pick) box in the panel and let the terminal randomly pick some or all of your numbers.
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For a chance to win cash prizes in an additional drawing held immediately after the Lotto drawing, using the same numbers played on your Lotto ticket, select the Double Play box. Double Play costs $1 more per play.
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For a chance to win cash instantly, select the EZmatch box in a panel for $1 more per play.
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To play the same numbers for more than one draw, simply tell the retailer how many advance draws you want to play or select the number of draws in the Advance Play section of your playslip.
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Mark the JACKPOT COMBO box for a $2 Powerball, a $2 Lotto, and a $2 Mega Millions Quick Pick ticket for the next available draw date.
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Give your completed playslip and payment to the retailer. You will receive a printed ticket with your numbers, draw date(s) and the total cost of the ticket. For each panel with EZmatch selected, you will receive a separate ticket with your Lotto and EZmatch numbers. Lotto tickets cannot be canceled.
When are drawings usually held?
According to the website, drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday nights at 11:15 pm Eastern Time.
Tickets can be purchased until 10:55 pm Eastern Time, on the night of the draw. Tickets purchased after 10:55 pm will be for the next draw.
When is the next drawing?
The next drawing will be held Saturday night at 11:15 pm with an estimated $27.5 million jackpot.
What do profits from the lottery go towards?
Florida Lottery profits contribute more than $43 billion to enhance education and send more than 950,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. According to the Florida Lottery website, it reinvests 99% of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Lottery retailers, and transfers to pay for education.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida Lottery announces Cape Coral man as winner of $41M prize