A Rock Island, Illinois man who joked that he’d win big in the lottery had his dream come true when his scratch ticket was a $1 million winner.
Dennis Ryzner, 53, is a regular customer at Tobacco Outlet Plus in Bettendorf because it is near his job. He stopped at the store Thursday, May 10 and bought a “Lifetime Riches” instant scratch lottery ticket.
He didn’t scratch it until a little later.
“I looked at it for about 20 minutes and still couldn’t believe it,” Ryzner said, “I said, ‘This couldn’t happen to me.’ But it did.”
Ryzner is the second Quad Cities resident to win a top prize in 2012. Ashley Smrcina, a graduate student from Davenport, Iowa, won a $1 million prize in the same lottery game in January 2012.
Ryzner’s prize is the seventh $1 million “Lifetime Riches” prize awarded, leaving one more $1 million prize still available in the game. Lifetime Riches costs $20 to play
Winners can choose to receive $40,000 per year for 25 years or a lump sum payment of $650,000 before taxes. Ryzner took the lump sum payment, which lottery officials say will net him about $455,000 after taxes.
