A Villa Rica grandmother will retire comfortably after winning $1 million in the Georgia Lottery.

Karen Richards, 53, played the instant game 50X The Money, winning a top prize.

“This is quite exciting,” Richards said. “It’s an adrenaline rush.”

The mother of three adult children bought the winning ticket at Four Lane BP on S. Park Street in Carrollton to "kill time" while taking her mother to physical therapy.

“I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I called all of my family, and they didn’t believe me at first.”

“It’s a lot of money, so I don’t have plans now,” she said. “I’ll probably invest.”

About the Author

Featured

Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com