About a decade after Linda Sweeney won a $1 million through the Massachusetts Lottery, the Dorchester resident celebrated another victory last week.
Sweeney won her second $1 million prize on a scratch ticket, this time through the lottery's "200X" instant game. The win came 10 years and two months after her first $1 million win in the "Billion Dollar Blockbuster" instant game, which was on Dec. 7, 2009.
Sweeney purchased the most recent winning ticket at the Stop & Shop on Freeport Street in Dorchester. The store will receive a $10,000 bonus for its sale of the ticket.
Sweeney opted for the one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes.
One $15 million prize and 17 additional $1 million prizes are still available in the $30 instant game.
The win marked one of four Massachusetts residents who claimed prizes of at least $1 million last week.
Jose Almeida of Peabody claimed a $2 million prize last week after he purchased the ticket on the same day he welcomed his 10th grandchild into the world.
Almeida received a one-time payment of $1,300,000 before taxes.
Keith Chamness of Peabody won a $1 million prize through the "$5,000,000 100X Cashword" instant game.
Chamness went out to breakfast one morning after he was given the day off from work because of inclement weather. On the way home with his fiancée, they stopped at a 7-Eleven in Lynn where he purchased the winning ticket.
Chamness chose the cash option on his prize and received a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes.
Finally, Gary Balsamo of Methuen claimed a $1 million prize and chose the cash option of a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes.
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
I guess lightning does strike twice! But it's not the first time. There was a gentleman in Florida who won the lottery twice the first time was for 7 million and the second time was for 3 million in a 6 month period. He took a lump sum for the first win and a annuity for the 2nd win for 30 years. Then there was the lady in New Jersey who also won twice but ending up gambling it all away in Atlantic City casinos. Just hoping that it strikes for me once! "I got my shades on waiting for the sun to shine my way, Everything evens up you just wait...for even a garbage can gets a steak!" (JAY-Z)
If memory serves me correctly that NJ lady got them to advance her annual payment a bit early, then like you said gambled it all away.
Congratulations to that Dorchester lady. Ironic that MSL has TWO office in Dorchester now with the main one right off the red-line subway. So what's my point? They have 2 offices and yet outsourced the Season Ticket Department? Give me a break. This homie did as promised and did not buy any season tickets this year due to increased cost to me. Yes, I'll take some sugar with my wine.
Shortly will be in Todd's next of the woods and still undecided if any $$ will be spent on the New Jersey Lottery.
Evelyn Adams from New Jersey is the winner who won twice. She can be found here on Lottery Post in the Search box.
She said, "I wish that I had learned how to say NO." paraphrased.
Congratulations to all those new millionaires in this story today. Now they need to learn how to protect their winnings.