Winning $500,000 from an instant-win Monopoly ticket is certainly a big deal, but so far Phillip Lambert hasn’t made big plans to match. He bought the winning ticket at Clyde’s Market on the corner of Highway 84 and Airport Road.
The 31-year-old Ohio native, who has been in Hinesville since October as a temporary civilian employee at Fort Stewart, said his immediate goals are “to pay off my debt, pay off my brother’s debt and my parents’ debt.”
The Monopoly instant-win game
is a$5 ticket with cash prizes including the $500,000 top prize. Non-winning instant tickets can be  used to play
a virtual Monopoly bonus board game and be entered to win $2,000 in addition to the Monopoly Premier Edition Game.
Lambert said he’s never been a frequent lottery player, even back home. “This was the first and only ticket I’ve bought since I’ve been here,” he said. “I just saw it and I like Monopoly, so I thought I’d try it.”
He’s already left his temporary job and said he’s looking at buying a home but will still put a bit of his prize money into savings. “Things are working out very good for me,” Lambert said.