A quick stop at a gas station convenience store is usually a five-minute errand. For Judith Van Hauer of Ellenton, Florida, it turned into one of the biggest paydays of her life. Van Hauer, 60, bought a $20 MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT scratch-off ticket at the Circle K on 20th Street East in Ellenton and walked away as a $5 million winner. The Florida Lottery confirmed the win, and Van Hauer traveled to Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on May 23 to officially claim her prize.
This is the kind of story that makes people check their own scratch-off tickets twice. A Florida woman wins the Monopoly lottery prize and suddenly everyone at the gas station counter is eyeing the ticket display a little longer. Here’s what actually happened, what the game looks like, and what Van Hauer’s payout really comes out to after taxes.
How Judith Van Hauer Won
Van Hauer purchased her ticket from the Circle K located at 5944 20th Street E. in Ellenton. According to the Florida Lottery, she matched the winning combination on the MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT ticket and revealed one of the game’s top prizes. Not bad for a $20 buy.
She made the trip to Tallahassee to claim her winnings in person, which is standard procedure for prizes of this size. The store that sold the ticket also benefits when a big winner comes through. Florida retailers typically receive a bonus commission for selling a top prize ticket, a small thank you from the lottery for being the lucky location.
The Game Behind the Win: MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT
The MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT scratch-off launched in July 2024 and costs $20 per ticket. It’s part of a long line of Monopoly themed instant games that the Florida Lottery has run over the years, leaning on the board game’s instant name recognition to pull in players who grew up trading fake cash and buying up Boardwalk.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the game:
| Detail | Info |
| Ticket price | $20 |
| Top prize | $5 million |
| Number of top prizes at launch | 4 |
| Total cash prizes in the game | Over $329 million |
| Overall odds of winning any prize | 1 in 2.95 |
Those odds (1 in 2.95) refer to winning any prize on the ticket, not the top prize specifically. Hitting the $5 million jackpot is a different story entirely. With only four top prizes built into the entire print run of the game, the odds against landing one of those four specific tickets run into the millions to one. Van Hauer is one of a small handful of people who will ever hit that number on this particular game.
What $5 Million Actually Pays Out
The headline number always grabs attention, but it’s rarely the number that lands in a winner’s bank account. Florida Lottery scratch-off prizes can be taken as an annuity over time or as a single lump sum. Van Hauer chose the lump sum option, which paid her $2,884,920.00 in one go.
That’s a meaningful drop from $5 million, and it surprises a lot of people the first time they see it. The lump sum reflects the present cash value of the prize rather than the full advertised jackpot, and federal taxes get pulled before the money ever reaches the winner. Most large prize winners in Florida take the lump sum anyway. Having full control of a smaller amount today tends to beat smaller payments spread out over decades, especially for anyone with debt, a mortgage, or plans they don’t want to wait thirty years to act on.
She Wasn’t the Only Big Winner That Week
Florida Lottery officials also announced another major scratch-off win around the same time. Joel Zebell, 51, of Land O’ Lakes, claimed a separate 5millionprizefromtheCA5 million prize from the CA 5millionprizefromtheCAH MONEY scratch-off game after buying his ticket at a Circle K in Land O’ Lakes. He also chose the lump sum, taking home $3,053,000. Two unrelated $5 million wins landing close together is unusual even by Florida Lottery standards, and it’s part of why the story spread as fast as it did.
It’s also worth noting that Van Hauer’s win wasn’t an isolated MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT moment. Months earlier, Benjamin Chiurliza, 63, of Miramar, claimed another $5 million top prize from the same game after buying his ticket at a Publix in Miramar. Between Chiurliza and Van Hauer, two of the game’s four total top prizes had already been claimed, leaving two remaining at the time of reporting.
A Word on the “Florida Woman” Headlines Floating Around
If you’ve searched this story, you’ve probably noticed the internet is a little messy right now. Several low quality sites are circulating versions of this win with different names attached, like Ana Larsen, Sarah Mallory, or Soignese Youte, along with different ticket prices and different stores. None of those names show up in any Florida Lottery announcement or legitimate news coverage tied to this specific MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT win. The verified version, confirmed directly by the Florida Lottery and reported by outlets including the Tampa Free Press and WFLA News Channel 8, names Judith Van Hauer as the winner of the $5 million prize from the Ellenton Circle K. When a lottery story blows up online, it’s common for content farms to recycle the headline with invented details. Always a good reminder to check a story against the lottery’s own announcement before taking the details as fact.
How Florida Scratch-Off Prizes Get Claimed
For anyone curious about what actually happens after a big scratch-off win, the process is fairly standard across Florida Lottery games:
- The ticket gets verified, either through the official Florida Lottery app or in person at a district lottery office.
- Winners of prizes over $250,000 typically need to schedule an appointment to claim at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
- The winner chooses between a lump sum payment or, for games that offer it, an annuity paid out over time.
- Federal taxes get withheld before the payment is issued.
- The winning retailer receives a bonus commission for selling the prize winning ticket.
Florida doesn’t tax lottery winnings at the state level, which is one reason the state consistently produces some of the country’s biggest publicized scratch-off wins. Winners still owe federal taxes, and depending on their total income for the year, that bill can run higher once they file.
Could You Win the Same Prize?
There are still MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT top prizes out there as of this writing, though that number drops every time someone claims one. The Florida Lottery posts updated remaining prize counts for every active scratch-off game on its website, and it’s worth a check before buying if the size of the remaining jackpot matters to you. Odds on any individual ticket don’t change based on how many top prizes are left in the game overall, but plenty of players like knowing the big one is still out there.
If you’re going to play, treat it as entertainment with a price tag, not a financial plan. The Florida Lottery and consumer advocates consistently recommend setting a budget before buying tickets and sticking to it, regardless of how good the odds sound on the back of the ticket.
FAQ
Who won the Florida Monopoly lottery prize? Judith Van Hauer, 60, of Ellenton, Florida, won a $5 million top prize from the MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT scratch-off game.
Where did she buy the winning ticket? She bought the $20 ticket at the Circle K located at 5944 20th Street E. in Ellenton, Florida.
How much money did she actually receive? She chose the lump sum option and received $2,884,920.00 before any additional tax filings.
What are the odds of winning the MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT game? The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 2.95. The odds of landing one of the four total top prizes are dramatically longer since only four exist across the entire game.
Are the other “Florida woman wins Monopoly lottery” stories online real? Several versions circulating online use different names and details that don’t match any verified Florida Lottery announcement. The confirmed, lottery verified winner is Judith Van Hauer.
A $20 ticket and a few seconds of scratching turned an ordinary day into a multi million dollar one. It’s the kind of story that reminds you why people keep buying tickets even when they know the odds aren’t on their side. If you’re playing, play for fun, set a limit, and let the rest take care of itself.
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