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Massachusetts Lottery players win the same game 25 minutes apart

Synchronicity with $5,000,000 100X Cashword instant-win.

Lawrence Troy and Jonathan Seward, winners of the Massachusetts Lottery $5,000,000 100X Cashword game.
Lawrence Troy and Jonathan Seward; winners of the $5,000,000 100X Cashword game. Photograph credit to the Massachusetts Lottery.
Corinna Underwood

A coincidence is defined as two circumstances or events that have no causal connection with one another. A remarkable coincidence occurred on January 26 in Massachusetts when two lucky lottery players, one from Sheffield and one from Mansfield, claimed $1 million in prizes in the same instant-win game just 25 minutes apart.

The game was the $5,000,000 100X Cashword instant-win ticket. The first winner was Lawrence Troy of Mansfield. He purchased his ticket from the 7-Eleven, located at 70 Copeland Drive in Mansfield. The second winner, just 25 minutes later, was Jonathan Seward of Sheffield. He purchased his ticket from Silk's Variety, located at 107 Main Street in Sheffield.

Both players chose to receive their winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $650,000 before tax withholdings. Lawrence Troy told the Massachusetts Lottery that he has no plans yet for his winnings. Johnathon Seward already plans to invest his winnings into his company.

How to play $5,000,000 100X Cashword

The Massachusetts Lottery $5,000,000 100X Cashword is a $20 instant-win game that was launched in February 2023. It has a top prize of $5 million. To play, remove the 20 silver dollar symbols to reveal your letters. Then, remove the corresponding letters in Game 1 and Game 2 puzzles. If you reveal two or more complete words in either or both Game 1 and Game 2, you win the corresponding prize.

Complete words must appear in an unbroken vertical or horizontal line. Only letters that match with your revealed letters can be used to complete a word. A complete word will contain at least three letters.

When you have completed Games 1 and 2, scratch off the Bonus Multiplier box. You will reveal 1X, 2X, 5X, 10X, 20X or 100X. Your total value will be multiplied by the amount revealed to determine your total prize value.

Once you have completed the Bonus Multiplier, remove the six black dollar symbols at the bottom of the ticket. If you reveal a silver bar symbol, you win the prize shown with that symbol.

The prizes range for this instant-win game is $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000, $1 million, and $5 million. The $1 million prize may be taken as a one-time lump sum or as $50K a year over 20 years. The $5 million prize may be taken as a one-time lump sum or as $250K a year over 20 years.

To date, there is one $5 million prize remaining and three $1 million prizes remaining.

About the Massachusetts Lottery

Since 1972, the Massachusetts Lottery has been donating 20 percent of its revenue to the Commonwealth's General Fund, from where it is given to cities and towns throughout the state for specific aid programs.

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