With a few scratches, brothers Samoeun and Samoeuth Am have achieved a lofty goal only dreamed about by most Americans.
On Jan. 4, Samoeuth Am drove from his Jacksonville home to the El Cheapo gas station on Ga. 40 in Kingsland to buy some Georgia Lottery tickets. Among them was a Georgia's $500 Million Club ticket with a top prize of $1 million.
Am, who is unemployed, said he scratched off the ticket, which costs $20, near the cash register and stared at the ticket in disbelief.
"I kept checking to see if it was the right number," Am said.
Lalu Patel, the store manager, said he watched as Am discovered he had just bought a ticket with the top prize.
Unlike tickets drawn with the top prize in the state's twice weekly Georgia Lottery, store owners don't get a cash award for selling the winning ticket.
"It's a scratch-off," Patel said. "We get nothing. But it's really good advertising for the store."
Patel predicted more customers will buy tickets from his store as word spreads his store sold a $1 million winner.
Although he bought the winner, Am gave it to his brother to turn into Georgia Lottery officials to collect the prize of $50,000 a year for the next 20 years.
He was awarded his first $50,000 check Monday from Georgia Lottery officials, who traveled to the store where the winning ticket was purchased.
Samoeun Am, an employee at a Jacksonville-based restaurant supply company, said he has no plans to quit his job. The two brothers said they plan to use their winnings to get a loan for a new house.
Samoeuth Am said he also plans a vacation to his native Cambodia this year.
The brothers are also joined by Robert Clark as the Jacksonville area's newest millionaires. Clark, of Orange Park, recently won $1 million in the Florida Lottery's Millionaire Raffle.
Am, who is unemployed, said he scratched off the ticket, which costs $20, near the cash register and stared at the ticket in disbelief.
Although this is a great story, I hope it's not suggesting that people who are unemployed should go out and spend $20 apiece on scratch tickets. If I recall correctly, when I drove here, the first city I saw on I-95 in FL was Jacksonville, so the drive to GA isn't a long haul. But a lot of people are "unemployed" and not poor or hungry. That's a very broad term.
Regardless of being unemployed, sometimes being down on your luck and having nothing but Faith is the best time to get lucky. Logic and common sense will only keep you poor. Even David Edwards spent his last $7 on lottery tickets, and then won $40 or so. He just could not hold on to it. I wish I actually had $20 when I was "unemployed."
Quote: Originally posted by sirbrad on Jan 16, 2008
Regardless of being unemployed, sometimes being down on your luck and having nothing but Faith is the best time to get lucky. Logic and common sense will only keep you poor. Even David Edwards spent his last $7 on lottery tickets, and then won $40 or so. He just could not hold on to it. I wish I actually had $20 when I was "unemployed."
I just want to clarify something. My comment was in no way negative regarding the win. I started out by saying it's a great story. I was only commenting that saying "unemployed" doesn't always mean the person was broke, but this type of story is good for the media and the lottery. People like to read that someone out of work won the lottery. It sells more tickets, especially in these times where people feel there is no future or hope to get ahead.
Grats to the brothers on their win. Wish I could have luck like that. Don't know how many times I played a scratch off in the past and never came close to winning. This is a good example to show that people do win at these games.
This same thing happened yesterday in Los Angeles. I went to get my Daily 3 numbers and I usually by scracth offs and Lo and Behold...the $5 tickets have instant Millionare scratches...I KID YOU NOT! A young man who works at a local "Rite-Aid" store came in and bought ONE TICKET...I WAS THERE TO WITNESS this...(it should have been MY TICKET)...oh well...next time...NO ONE COULD BELIEVE IT! It said...$1,000,000....I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES. This is the second time this has happened to me in this same store...The last time, it was a $15,000 scratcher. Maybe my luck is getting better!
Quote: Originally posted by xmasbaby on Jan 18, 2008
This same thing happened yesterday in Los Angeles. I went to get my Daily 3 numbers and I usually by scracth offs and Lo and Behold...the $5 tickets have instant Millionare scratches...I KID YOU NOT! A young man who works at a local "Rite-Aid" store came in and bought ONE TICKET...I WAS THERE TO WITNESS this...(it should have been MY TICKET)...oh well...next time...NO ONE COULD BELIEVE IT! It said...$1,000,000....I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES. This is the second time this has happened to me in this same store...The last time, it was a $15,000 scratcher. Maybe my luck is getting better!
Come with me, we're going to scratch off tickets, xmasbaby! You, my dear, are a good luck charm!
In this particular case, common sense would have kept him poor. Again further proof that it "pays" to be stupid and take stupid risks, especially when it comes to the lottery.
Am, who is unemployed, said he scratched off the ticket, which costs $20, near the cash register and stared at the ticket in disbelief.
Although this is a great story, I hope it's not suggesting that people who are unemployed should go out and spend $20 apiece on scratch tickets. If I recall correctly, when I drove here, the first city I saw on I-95 in FL was Jacksonville, so the drive to GA isn't a long haul. But a lot of people are "unemployed" and not poor or hungry. That's a very broad term.
Congratulations to the 2 brothers.
Regardless of being unemployed, sometimes being down on your luck and having nothing but Faith is the best time to get lucky. Logic and common sense will only keep you poor. Even David Edwards spent his last $7 on lottery tickets, and then won $40 or so. He just could not hold on to it. I wish I actually had $20 when I was "unemployed."
There's an ancient saying
"Believe in the Lord, but tie your camel first."
Feel good story. Good for them.
I agree. I'm glad things worked out for them.
I just want to clarify something. My comment was in no way negative regarding the win. I started out by saying it's a great story. I was only commenting that saying "unemployed" doesn't always mean the person was broke, but this type of story is good for the media and the lottery. People like to read that someone out of work won the lottery. It sells more tickets, especially in these times where people feel there is no future or hope to get ahead.
Grats to the brothers on their win. Wish I could have luck like that.
Don't know how many times I played a scratch off in the past and never came close to winning. This is a good example to show that people do win at these games.
This same thing happened yesterday in Los Angeles. I went to get my Daily 3 numbers and I usually by scracth offs and Lo and Behold...the $5 tickets have instant Millionare scratches...I KID YOU NOT!
A young man who works at a local "Rite-Aid" store came in and bought ONE TICKET
...I WAS THERE TO WITNESS this...(it should have been MY TICKET)...oh well...next time...NO ONE COULD BELIEVE IT! It said...$1,000,000....I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES. This is the second time this has happened to me in this same store...The last time, it was a $15,000 scratcher. Maybe my luck is getting better! 
Come with me, we're going to scratch off tickets, xmasbaby! You, my dear, are a good luck charm!
In this particular case, common sense would have kept him poor. Again further proof that it "pays" to be stupid and take stupid risks, especially when it comes to the lottery.