Andrew Dera has been playing the Delaware Lottery for five years at Shop & Stop on Coastal Highway in Dewey Beach. Dera said he enjoys playing a variety of Instant Games, Powerball and Megamillions. "I play when I'm feeling lucky," Dera said. Lucky for him, the $250 Grand Instant Game ticket happened to catch his eye.
"I've never seen a $25 ticket before, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ I had a gut feeling about this one."
Dera decided to purchase an entire book, or 24 tickets for the $250 Grand Instant Game. "When I told the cashier I wanted a book of tickets, he asked if I was sure...the look on his face was priceless."
Dera returned home to scratch his tickets, and on the 11th one, he won big. "I scratched the doubler and saw $10,000 and hit the brakes. I had to do a double take. I still can't believe it."
When asked what he would doing with his winnings, Dera said he plans to pay off his work van. "It'll make [life] easier for a while," he said.
Dera claimed his prize at Lottery Headquarters July 25.