LAKE CITY, Fla. — A Columbia County man successfully scratched his way to an extra $500,000 while playing a Florida Lottery game.

Joseph Demaio, of Lake City, got lucky while visiting the Tower Road Supermarket in Gainesville, according to the a Florida Lottery spokesperson. For $50, the 50-year-old purchased a $500,000 CASH BLOWOUT! ticket and ended up with the top prize.

He went to claim the giant check in Tallahassee last month.

The $500,00 CASH BLOWOUT! game launched in August, offering 100 top prizes of $500,000. As of Monday, 87 remain with 1-in-264853 odds of winning.

Demaio is one of several people in Northeast Florida who beat the odds, but the only winner so far to publicly claim it.

Two days after Demaio claimed his prize, another winning ticket was claimed from Large Fo

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