Liquor Emporium on East Ocean Avenue in Lompoc sells $7 million prize-winning scratcher

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – A lotto player in Lompoc won a $7 million prize after buying the scratcher at Liquor Emporium on East Ocean Avenue.

"It was awesome to see somebody win and become a millionaire," shared Liquor Emporium's owner Simon Kassis. "Imagine, a scratch of a penny makes you a millionaire."

According to the California Lottery, the lucky player purchased a Crossword Xtreme Scratcher and joins another local winner from last year who also won $7 million from the same type of scratcher just a mile away at Carbaugh's Market on North A Street.

While players get the big reward, retailers receive a bonus of 0.5 percent of the prize, which in this case comes to $35,000.

Kassis shared that he intends to invest that bonus into inventory upgrades and equipment renovations.

The California Lottery also supports local public schools, something Kassis noted explaining, "That's the best thing the Lottery did… putting a percentage toward the community and the schools. Our customers know part of it is going to a good cause."

Since its inception in 1985, the California Lottery has supplemented more than $48 billion to public schools statewide and in fiscal year 2024-2025, it raised $1.9 billion for education statewide.

Here in Santa Barbara County, the California Lottery contributed $4,869,843 in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024-2025.

For more information about the California Lottery's supplemental funding for public schools, visit here.