ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A 67-year-old man in St. Pete received an early Christmas present: a winning $1 million scratch-off ticket.
The Florida Lottery says Albert Pike claimed a $1 million top prize after buying a $30 ticket for "THE FASTEST ROAD TO $1,000,000" Scratch-Off game.Pike chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $790,000.RELATED: Retired US Marine and his wife welcome newborn son on Marine Corps' 245th birthdayBefore winning, Pike was facing some tough decisions for how best to take care of his family, he told the Florida Lottery."When I got home and saw the winning numbers, I couldn't believe it.