Brothers plan to get house with winnings

KINGSLAND, Ga. --- With a few scratches, brothers Samoeun and Samoeuth Am have achieved a lofty goal only dreamed about by most Americans.

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Morris News Service

Samoeuth Am drove from Jacksonville, Fla., to buy a lottery ticket at the El Cheapo gas station in Kingsland, Ga. He bought a $1 million-winning scratch-off ticket from the cubby hole at the bottom left. Mr. Am's brother, Samoeun, turned the ticket in to collect the prize of $50,000 a year.

On Jan. 4, Samoeuth Am drove from his Jacksonville, Fla., home to the El Cheapo gas station on Georgia Highway 40 in Kingsland to buy some Georgia Lottery tickets. Among them was a Georgia's $500 Million Club ticket with a top prize of $1 million.

Mr. Am, who is unemployed, said he scratched off the ticket, which costs $20, near the cash register and stared at it in disbelief.

"I kept checking to see if it was the right number," he said.

Lalu Patel, the store manager, said he watched as Mr. Am discovered that he had just bought a ticket with the top prize. In this case, however, the store owner got no cash award for selling the winning ticket.

"It's a scratch-off," Mr. Patel said. "We get nothing. But it's really good advertising for the store."

Mr. Patel predicted that more customers will buy tickets from his store as word of the $1 million winner spreads.

Although he bought the ticket, Mr. Am gave it to his brother to turn in to Georgia Lottery officials to collect the prize of $50,000 a year for the next 20 years. He was awarded his first $50,000 check Monday from Georgia Lottery officials, who traveled to the store where the winning ticket was purchased.

Samoeun Am, an employee at a Jacksonville-based restaurant supply company, said he has no plans to quit his job. The brothers said they plan to use the money to get a loan for a new house.

Samoeuth Am said he also plans a vacation to his native Cambodia this year.