Homeless man collects prize after winning life-changing $1M on scratch-off tickets

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Gray News) – A homeless man received a life-changing amount of money after he won the lottery in California.

According to the California Lottery, Armando Vidal’s big win came in mid-April after he purchased two Triple Red 777 scratchers from Sandy’s Liquor & Deli in San Luis Obispo.

Vidal told the lottery he had moved from Santa Clara to Santa Maria years ago before suffering an injury which lost him his job and eventually left him homeless in 2008.

While he tried to manage his living situation, he moved to San Luis Obispo where he became a regular at Sandy’s Liquor & Deli.

When he bought the two winning tickets, Vidal believed only one was actually a winner after he uncovered a $200 prize. To make sure, he brought the tickets into the store and had the cashier scan the tickets. Even after that, Vidal said he believed his top prize was $100,000.

That’s when the store’s owner asked him what he planned on doing with the $1 million he won.

“I was like, ‘Huh?” Vidal said. “And that’s how I found out that I’d won a million dollars.”

The store’s owner journeyed with Vidal to the California Lottery office in Fresno so he could claim his prize.

With his monumental winnings, Vidal said he is looking to secure a home for himself with a bed, a few dogs and then to invest the rest of his savings to make sure he stays financially secure.

He also said he plans to keep a low profile in the future.