Borough man wins ‘Big Money’

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-CT LOTTERY
-CT LOTTERY

NAUGATUCK — A Naugatuck man is rolling in big money after winning $2 million on a scratch-off ticket.

According to a press release issued by the Connecticut Lottery, Xiang Zhou Chen, of Naugatuck, won the top prize of $2 million in the instant game, “Big Money.”

The release stated Chen chose to receive his winnings in a 20-year annuity rather than a lump sum and was presented Wednesday with his first prize check for $100,000 (value before taxes) at Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill.

The winning ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven at 801 Rubber Ave.

“We were shocked when we learned that our store sold a $2 million winning ticket.  We’re especially happy for the winner — it’s nice that someone from our own town was the one to buy the winning ticket,” said Hema Desai, who owns the store, in the release.

For selling the winning ticket, the 7-Eleven will receive a $20,000 bonus from the Lottery.

1 COMMENT

  1. Choosing the annuity option (which winners rarely do these days, for good reason) in a game where winners have the choice of cash, IMO, is like the early days of “Wheel of Fortune” when winners shopped for prizes instead of automatically winning money. Some contestants, instead of having their leftover cash on a gift certificate, put their money “ON ACCOUNT”; such a player not only had to win another round (fewer puzzles back then), but needed to avoid “BANKRUPT”. What I mean is, given the world/American financial situation now, the downside in choosing annuity far outweighs the upside. (If I were to win Classic Lotto, my favorite game, I would choose cash.)