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California man wins $1 million on Scratcher purchased at OC Fair

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Published  November 26, 2024 4:01pm PST
Lottery
FOX 11

SUGGESTED COVERAGE: Lotto fever sweeps the US

Between Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing and Wednesday's Powerball, more than $1.5 billion are up for grabs.

The Brief

    • Thomas Shellabarger won $1 million on a winning Multiplier Craze Scratcher.
    • He bought the lucky ticket at the Orange County Fair in August.
    • The owner of Five Star Liquor, the Westminster retailer that sold the winning ticket, receives a $5,000 bonus.

LOS ANGELES - Talk about fate!

Thomas Shellabarger is $1 million richer thanks to a winning Multiplier Craze Scratcher ticket he bought at the Orange County Fair back in August.

"At first, I thought I’d won a hundred thousand, and I told my wife that we were finally out of debt. She said, ‘Let me see that. That’s a comma right there!’ My knees buckled, and I had to sit down," Shellabarger said.

Shellabarger said he actually planned to take his family to the fair the day before, but it was sold out. But if that happened, there would have been another winner because his lucky ticket wouldn't be at the top of the stack.

"I’ve never thought to myself, ‘I’m going to win the lottery, I’m going to be rich.’ It’s always been I’ll put my dollars in and hope for the best. Looking back now, sometimes I’ll just chuckle. I honestly can’t believe I won the lottery," Shellabarger said. 

The owner of Five Star Liquor, the Westminster retailer that worked the CA Lottery LIVE! booth at the OC Fair, receives a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The Source: This story was reported with information from the California Lottery.