Sandusky man wins $2 million on scratch-off lottery ticket

SANDUSKY — He actually hit the one-in-a-million long shot.Sandusky resident Brandon Lyles won the jackpot prize, $2 million, on a scratch-off lottery ticket he recently bought, the Ohio Lottery Commission confirmed. The transaction occurred at Sandusky Food Mart in Sandusky Plaza on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6).The Register contacted Lyles, who turned down an opportunity to comment for this news story. Lyles, however, indicated he did win this prize. He also agreed to publicize his name and winnings, commission spokeswoman Marie Kilbane said.Lyles purchased a $20 Platinum Diamond Spectacular ticket and won its grand prize: a $2 million payout. The odds of winning? One in 1 million.Here's what a ticket of the Platinum Diamond Spectacular looks like.Rather than taking a lump sum, Lyles chose an annuity payout: Before taxes, it comes out to $80,000 annually over a 25-year period.Many other lottery winners take this choice. Why?• In Ohio, lump-sum payments typically pale in comparison to annuity payments.• The lottery takes the cash it has from ticket sales and invests it all at once, before taxes, and pays the interest gained back to the winner choosing an annuity.• The cash option, which is actually less than the value of the total jackpot, doesn't do this, since those winners receive their "full" payment all at once.• The lump sum cash option is really a "cash equivalent," according to Ohio Lottery lingo, of the jackpot prizeIn Ohio, there's a 28 percent tax rate on the annuity option: The federal government first takes 24 percent. With the new balance, an additional 4 percent gets withheld for state taxes.Lyles stands to receive a total of about $1.45 million, after taxes, 25 years from now. Sandusky Food Mart, meanwhile, will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket."We are very happy for him and all of our winners," Kilbane said. "We always want to congratulate them with a big sum of money, like this. "Ultimately, our goal is to have fun, entertaining games that provide a small portion of funds toward public education."Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.The Sandusky Food Mart on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) in Sandusky recently sold a $2 million lottery ticket.