A gas station stop. A quick grocery run. A coin picked up off the pavement for luck. These are the ordinary moments that turned into life-changing paydays for several Florida women who bought a Monopoly-themed scratch-off ticket and walked away millionaires. The phrase “Florida woman wins Monopoly lottery” has popped up again and again over the past couple of years, and it’s not one story, it’s several. Each win happened at a different store, on a different day, to a different person, but they all share the same twist: an ordinary purchase that turned extraordinary in seconds. This piece breaks down who these winners actually are, how much they took home after taxes, and how the Monopoly scratch-off game works if you’re curious about trying your own luck.
The Florida Women Who Actually Won the Monopoly Lottery
Ana Larsen, Lake Worth: $5 Million
Ana Larsen, a 60-year-old from Lake Worth, picked up a Monopoly Secret Vault ticket at a 7-Eleven and matched the top prize of $5 million. She chose the lump sum payout instead of annual payments, which brought her a one-time check of roughly $2.8 million after taxes. That gap between the advertised prize and the actual payout surprises a lot of first-time winners, and it’s worth understanding before you ever scratch a ticket yourself.
Judith Van Hauer, Ellenton: $5 Million
Judith Van Hauer bought her winning Monopoly Secret Vault ticket at a Circle K in Ellenton, Manatee County, on what she described as a completely unremarkable day. Her prize matched Larsen’s at $5 million, and she also opted for the lump sum, landing around the same $2.8 million after-tax figure.
Sarah Mallory, Ocklawaha: $1 Million
Not every big win requires a $20 ticket. Sarah Mallory spent $5 on a Monopoly Secret Vault ticket and won $1 million. After choosing a lump sum and paying taxes, she took home roughly $576,900. The store that sold her ticket, a small shop in Belleview, received a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket, which is standard practice for Florida Lottery retailers.
Soignese Youte, Miramar: $1 Million
Soignese Youte, 54, won $1 million from a Monopoly Doubler ticket purchased at a food market in North Miami Beach. She took a lump-sum payout of $798,985 and said the money let her focus on her family’s financial future.
Why These Stories Keep Going Viral
None of these winners are celebrities. That’s exactly the point. A regular person buying a $5 or $20 ticket during an ordinary errand and ending up a millionaire is the kind of story that makes people stop scrolling. It taps into a simple thought: that could be me. Add in the nostalgia of the Monopoly brand, familiar tokens, properties, and Chance cards from childhood board game nights, and you’ve got a headline that spreads fast across social media and local news.
How the Monopoly Lottery Actually Works
The Florida Lottery’s Monopoly-themed games aren’t a numbers draw like Powerball. They’re instant scratch-off tickets, priced anywhere from $1 to $20, that use Monopoly imagery instead of plain numbers.
- You scratch off panels to reveal properties, cash amounts, or bonus symbols.
- Matching certain combinations wins an instant prize.
- Higher-priced tickets, like the $20 Monopoly Secret Vault, carry bigger top prizes, sometimes reaching $5 million.
- Some tickets include second-chance entries through the Florida Lottery app or website for additional drawings.
There’s no skill involved. It’s pure probability, and the odds of hitting a top prize are extremely low, which is exactly why these wins make news when they happen.
What Happens After You Win
Winning is the easy part. Claiming the prize takes a few careful steps, and skipping them can cost you.
- Sign the back of the ticket immediately to establish ownership.
- Verify the ticket through the official Florida Lottery app or in person at a lottery office.
- Decide between a lump sum or an annuity paid out over 30 years.
- Account for federal taxes, which are withheld before you receive your payout.
- Plan for privacy and security, since large wins can attract unwanted attention.
Most winners, including all four women above, chose the lump sum. It’s a smaller total than the advertised jackpot, but it gives immediate control over the money instead of waiting decades for full payment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Woman Wins Monopoly Lottery
Who is the Florida woman who won the Monopoly lottery?
There isn’t a single winner. Several Florida women have won Monopoly-themed scratch-off prizes in recent years, including Ana Larsen ($5 million), Judith Van Hauer ($5 million), Sarah Mallory ($1 million), and Soignese Youte ($1 million).
How much did the Florida woman actually take home after taxes?
It depends on the prize and payout choice. Ana Larsen and Judith Van Hauer each took home about $2.8 million from their $5 million wins after choosing the lump sum. Sarah Mallory received roughly $576,900 from her $1 million prize, and Soignese Youte received $798,985.
What is the Monopoly Secret Vault scratch-off?
It’s a $20 Florida Lottery instant ticket themed around the Monopoly board game, with a top prize of $5 million. Players scratch off panels featuring Monopoly properties and symbols to reveal instant winnings.
Where can you buy Monopoly lottery tickets in Florida?
You can buy them at most retailers licensed to sell Florida Lottery products, including convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery chains like Publix and Winn-Dixie.
Do lottery winners get a lump sum or payments over time?
Winners typically choose between a one-time lump sum or an annuity paid out over 30 years. Most large scratch-off winners, including the women featured here, pick the lump sum for immediate access to funds, even though the total is lower than the advertised prize.
Why is the payout lower than the advertised prize amount?
Because the advertised jackpot reflects the full value paid over time through an annuity. Choosing a lump sum means accepting the current cash value of that prize, and federal taxes are withheld immediately, which further reduces the final amount received.
Does the store that sold the winning ticket get anything?
Yes. Florida Lottery retailers receive a bonus commission for selling a winning ticket. The amount varies by prize size, ranging from a couple thousand dollars for smaller wins to $10,000 or more for top-tier prizes.
What are the odds of winning a Monopoly scratch-off top prize?
The odds vary by game and are printed on the back of each ticket. Top prizes like the $5 million Monopoly Secret Vault jackpot have extremely long odds, often in the millions to one range, which is why wins at that level are rare enough to make news.
Try Your Luck the Smart Way
Four different women, four different stores, four life-changing wins, all from a Monopoly-themed scratch-off ticket that costs less than a tank of gas. If you’re picking one up yourself, know the odds going in, decide ahead of time whether you’d take a lump sum or annuity, and treat it as entertainment rather than a financial plan. For more on how Florida Lottery games work and what winners do next, check out our guides on lump sum versus annuity payouts, how to claim a lottery prize safely, and the odds behind Florida’s top scratch-off games.
