He lost his job and his home in California, now this man has a million dollars to kickstart his life

A Triple Red 777 scratcher changed the life of a California man who had lost both his job and home several years ago, forcing him to move to a different city.

The California Lottery shared the story of Armando Vidal, who said an injury left him unemployed and eventually homeless back in 2008. On his journey to get back on his feet, he moved to San Luis Obispo, where he became a regular customer at Sandy’s Deli & Liquor. It was there, in April, that he bought a scratcher ticket that won him $1 million.

According to a statement from the California Lottery, Vidal bought two Triple Red 777 Scratchers at the store. After scratching them, he initially thought he had won $200. Then, after checking again with the cashier, he believed it was only $100,000. But when he celebrated with store manager Wilson Samaan, the truth came out – the cashier asked him, “What are you going to do with a million dollars?”

Once he realized the full amount of the prize, Samaan accompanied Vidal to the California Lottery office in Fresno to claim his winnings. “Now, Armando Vidal is working toward finding a home – with a bed and a couple of dogs – and he also plans to invest his winnings to keep the money growing. After his win went viral in April, Vidal also plans to keep a much lower profile going forward,” the Lottery said in its statement.

He stopped at a gas station and won 1 million dollars

The California Lottery also shared the story of another California man, who scratched off a Triple Red 777 and discovered he had also won a $1 million prize. Michael Wright, from Vacaville, bought the winning ticket at an ARCO ampm gas station – a regular stop for him, as it’s located across the street from his former workplace.

“I started scratching the way I always scratch – from the bottom right corner and working my way up,” Wright told the California Lottery. After revealing the numbers, he realized he’d just hit the million-dollar jackpot.

“This prize came at exactly the right time – and if you don’t believe in a higher power when something like this happens, you’ve got to start,” Wright said. He now plans to start a family business with his wife and buy a new house.

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