Barrington Resident Wins $4M at Bonus Bucks Scratch Game

Barrington resident Steven Richard has won a $4 million prize from a Massachusetts State Lottery scratch ticket for the Bonus Bucks game.

1 in 5,376,000 Winning Odds 

According to the Massachusetts State Lottery, the odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 5,376,000. 

By comparison, the overall odds of winning a Bonus Bucks prize are 1 in 3.47.

Richard received the incredibly lucky ticket from his father while they were having breakfast on March 29. 

Since his father was into the habit of frequently giving him lotto tickets, Steven didn’t always think anything of it.

Later on during the same day, he decided to scratch the ticket to see how much he had won. 

He was flabbergasted when we discovered that he won $4 million, but since he had a hard time comprehending what was happening, he decided to scan the ticket using the Massachusetts Lottery app to be 100% sure of his good luck. 

When the app confirmed his original finding, he couldn’t believe his eyes while looking at the final result. 

He immediately called his wife to share the good news, then made sure to let his father know about their good luck. 

The Winner Opted for the Lump Sum 

Richard decided to opt for the lump-sum prize alternative instead of the annuity option which would have spread over 20 years in the form of $200,000 payments a year, equivalent to the entire lottery prize.

His decision brought him immediate access to the discounted amount of $2.6 million before taxes. 

Since the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers net lottery winnings ordinary taxable income, after subtracting $10, which was the cost of the ticket, the winner will owe federal income taxes on the $2.6 million. 

The actual amount that he will owe will be determined by his current tax bracket. The lucky winner will also need to pay the tax state in Rhode Island, which is currently set at 5.99%. 

Moreover, lotto prizes over the $5,000 mark are subject to a 24% tax that is automatically applied, withheld, and sent to the IRS. 

Another 5% is withheld and sent to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, as per information from the Massachusetts State Lottery.

Like most lotto winners, when asked what he plans to do with the money, Richard expressed his desire to travel with his wife.

The ticket was sold at the Star Country Store and Deli located at 526 Sanford Road in Westport, Massachusetts. 

They will be rewarded with a $40,000 bonus for making the lucky sale.

In March 2023, another lucky Massachusetts State Lottery winner who scooped up a $2 million prize after playing the $2,000,000 50X Cashword scratch ticket game decided to stay anonymous and use the RCW Trust of Clinton to claim the money on his behalf.