By Oscar Woods 
A 60-year-old woman from Lake Worth Beach just turned a $20 scratch-off ticket into $5 million, and the Florida Lottery is officially calling it one of the biggest Monopoly wins the state has seen in recent memory.
Ana Larsen walked into a 7-Eleven on Jog Road, picked up a MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT scratch-off, and scratched her way to the top prize. When the Florida Lottery confirmed the win at its district office, Larsen chose the lump-sum payment, which came out to $2,884,920 before federal taxes. The 7-Eleven location received a $10,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.
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What Is the Monopoly Secret Vault Game?
The Florida Lottery launched the MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT family of scratch-offs in July 2024, licensed through Scientific Games. The series runs five ticket tiers:
- $1 ticket — top prize of $10,000
- $2 ticket — top prize of $100,000
- $5 ticket — top prize of $1 million
- $10 ticket — top prize of $2 million
- $20 ticket — top prize of $5 million
The $20 game, which Larsen played, offered four top prizes of $5 million total and more than $329 million in overall prize money. The overall odds of winning any prize sit at 1-in-2.95, making it one of the better-odds scratch-off games in Florida’s portfolio.
Not the First Big Monopoly Win in Florida
Larsen is not alone. Just months earlier, in September 2024, Soignese Youte of Miramar, Broward County, claimed a $1 million top prize from the $5 MONOPOLY DOUBLER scratch-off at the Florida Lottery’s Miami District Office. Youte also chose the lump-sum option, walking away with $798,985.
Her winning ticket came from Le Phare Food Market on Northeast 2nd Avenue in North Miami Beach. That retailer received a $2,000 bonus commission.
The MONOPOLY DOUBLER game carried over 9.4 million winning tickets and more than $132.6 million in total prizes, with 12 top prizes of $1 million available. Overall odds: 1-in-3.98.
How the Florida Lottery Claim Process Works
When a top-prize winner comes forward, the process moves through several structured steps:
- Ticket verification by Florida Lottery officials at a district office or lottery headquarters in Tallahassee
- Winner identification under Florida’s public records law, which requires the release of the winner’s name, city of residence, and prize amount
- Payout election — winners choose between a lump-sum payment or annuity payments spread over time
- Federal tax withholding applied to large prizes (Florida has no state income tax on lottery winnings)
- Payment processing once all documentation is finalized
Winners generally have up to 180 days from the game’s official end date to come forward and claim.
What Happens to the Tax Bill?
Florida does not tax lottery winnings at the state level, which is a meaningful advantage for winners compared to many other states. Federal withholding still applies. In Larsen’s case, her $5 million top prize came down to a lump-sum offer of $2,884,920 before federal taxes. After federal withholding, the actual take-home figure drops further, which is why financial advisors typically recommend winners consult a tax professional and estate planner before touching any funds.
The Bigger Picture Behind Florida Lottery Scratch-Offs
Scratch-off games make up roughly 74 percent of all Florida Lottery ticket sales, according to the Lottery’s 2023-2024 fiscal year data. Since the program launched in 1988:
- More than $95.7 billion in prizes have been paid out
- Over 4,000 people have become millionaires
- The Lottery has contributed more than $46 billion to Florida’s education system
- More than 983,000 students have received college funding through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program
Every scratch-off sold feeds back into Florida’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, which means each ticket purchase has a secondary effect beyond the individual player.
Playing Smart: What Buyers Should Know
Before spending money on any scratch-off, including Monopoly-themed games, here are a few things worth understanding:
- Check remaining top prizes. The Florida Lottery’s website lists how many top prizes are still available for each active game. If a game’s top prizes are gone, skip it.
- Understand the odds. The overall odds of winning any prize are printed on every ticket. The odds of hitting a top prize are always significantly lower than the overall odds.
- Sign your ticket immediately. This protects ownership if a ticket is lost or stolen.
- Validate through official channels. Use the Florida Lottery app or a licensed retailer scanner to confirm any prize before celebrating.
- Set a budget and stay there. Scratch-offs are entertainment spending, not a financial strategy.
A Florida woman winning the Monopoly lottery is the kind of story that travels fast, and for good reason. For Larsen and Youte, a routine convenience store stop became something far more significant. Whether it happens at a 7-Eleven in Lake Worth Beach or a food market in North Miami Beach, the math never changes. Odds are long. But the prizes are real.