Ex-Homeless Colorado Man Wins $1 Million Lottery Prize at Walmart
Posted on: March 9, 2026, 04:55h.
Last updated on: March 9, 2026, 04:55h.
- Formerly homeless Colorado man wins $1 million scratch-off at Walmart
- Lottery ticket purchased during frustrating work shift changes his life
- Second story shows similar $1 million win for long-term homeless man
Not long ago, Jonathan G. was living in a shelter and trying to piece together stability after a stretch of homelessness and unemployment. Now, he’s a millionaire.
Jonathan purchased a $20 ticket for the Colorado Lottery’s “200X” scratch game at a Walmart Supercenter in the city – and promptly hit the big time.
The Alamosa, Colo., resident turned his life around when he secured a job working as a cellphone sales representative. But he turned it around even harder by winning the lottery.
Beating the Odds
The odds of winning that top prize are long: roughly 1 in 840,000, according to the Colorado Lottery. The overall odds of winning anything on the ticket are about 1 in 3.27, officials were quick to add.
The winning ticket came during what Jonathan described as an especially frustrating day on the job. Cellphone sales had not been going well when he decided to try his luck with the lottery.
Jonathan said he normally spends only about $5 on scratch tickets and had won no more than $20. On this occasion, however, he decided to try the more expensive $20 “200X” game – a wise choice, with the benefit of hindsight.
“I definitely plan on giving my girlfriend and kids a life that I never thought was possible,” Jonathan said. “A little hope and perseverance and a gift of luck are going to give us a life we have been working very hard to have.”
Deserved Every Penny
Last April, a man who had been living on the streets of Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo (SLO), Calif., for years had a very similar experience.
Armando Vidal had been homeless since 2008 after an injury left him unable to work. But his personal circumstances improved significantly after he purchased two $10 Triple Red 777 Scratchers in early April from Sandy’s Deli & Liquor in SLO.
Vidal, a regular customer at Sandy’s, first believed he had won just $200.
Store manager Wilson Samaan said: “He came to the store, he scratched it, and is like, ‘Oh, my God. Is that real? Wilson, can you come and take a look?’” Samaan told Cal Coastal News in April.
The store’s lottery scanner confirmed the ticket was worth $1 million.
“I’m like, ‘Man, you hit the jackpot,’” Samaan said. “He’s like, ‘$100K?’ and I’m like, ‘No, bro. That’s $1 million. Congrats, brother,’ and we gave each other a high five.”
“He deserved every penny of it,” Samaan told The San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s a good guy.”
Vidal said he plans to stay out of the limelight, use the money to get an apartment, and invest the rest to ensure financial stability.
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