Holiday Ping Pong Ball Game Lands in a Cup Worth $25,000

Shortly after finishing Christmas Eve dinner at her parents’ home in Old Lyme, Gabriella Cohen and her family went on to play their favorite holiday game of throwing ping pong balls into cups with hidden gift bag numbers inside. Gabriella’s ball landed in a cup with the number 17. The corresponding gift bag Gabriella received contained a “$500,000 Extravaganza” scratch ticket along with a few other goodies. She almost traded the $20 ticket with her sister for a gift card, but decided to play the lottery game instead.

Gabriella scratched her ticket without giving it much thought and tossed it on the table. Her brother picked it up, noticed a winning number match, and said, “Whoa, you won $2,500!” Gabriella’s mom took a closer look at the ticket and shouted, “You’re wrong, she won $25,000!” while the whole family exploded in a whirl of excitement and celebration.

The level-headed 24-year-old winner recently stopped by CT Lottery Headquarters with her father, Charlie LaMothe, to claim her $25,000 prize before heading back to Charleston, SC. Gabriella plans to invest her unexpected windfall in real estate.

Gabriella’s winning ticket was purchased at Pennsylvania Ave Gas in Niantic. The