Sukhdev Singh of West Hartford Wins $3,000,000 Playing "$3,000,000 Platinum Spectacular"
September 14, 2011 -- If the thought of winning $1,000,000 sounds absolutely fantastic, then the reality of winning $3,000,000 should be positively spectacular—and that it was for Sukhdev Singh of West Hartford who won one of the $3,000,000 top prizes in the $30 instant game “
$3,000,000 Platinum Spectacular.” So overwhelmed after revealing the prize amount, Singh was rendered nearly speechless while standing before the lottery retailer who sold him the winning ticket. “I had to sit down on the bench and ask for a bottle of water before I could even talk,” Singh told Lottery officials.
A winning number match on his ticket gave Singh the choice of a $3,000,000 20-year annuity or a cash lump sum value of $1,735,200. Singh opted for the cash lump sum and received a prize check for $1,185,151 after taxes.
Singh purchased his top prize winning ticket from J & J Tobacco, located at 3273 Berlin Turnpike in Newington. Owner Dipak Parikh was equally excited about Singh’s big win. “I was shocked,” said Parikh, “It’s the biggest prize we’ve ever sold.” And, that’s saying a lot. Parikh, a lottery retailer for more than 20 years, also sold a $1.7 million Classic Lotto jackpot ticket to Norman Kastner, Jr. of Newington on January 4, 2000.
For selling the $3,000,000 top prize winning ticket, J & J Tobacco will receive a $30,000 check from the CT Lottery.
On March 11, 2009, sales began for the instant game $3,000,000 Platinum Spectacular. The game has more than $65 million in total cash prizes. Of the game’s four $3,000,000 annuity top prizes, two others been claimed—one by D. Grindley of West Hartford; the other was equally split between friends, Jason Gawitt of Coventry, and Matthew Dogali of Shelton.