Bill Bett (69), from Markinch in Fife, scooped the life changing win when he bought the scratchcard in his local Co-op on Thursday 1 June. He had no idea when he sat on the wall outside to scratch it that in just a few seconds he’d be a millionaire.

An ecstatic Bill said, “I always used to say no one wins £1 million on a scratchcard. When I saw the amount it didn’t really click at first. On the card it reads 1MIL and I thought what does this mean – I’ve won a pint of milk?

“I went back into the shop and asked them to check it. They confirmed that I had won and that I’d have to call the Lottery line. I couldn’t believe it but I actually remained quite calm.

“When I got home I phoned my three sisters who all thought I was winding them up. But they said it couldn’t have happened to a better brother and are so happy for me.

“I tucked the scratchcard carefully behind the cover of my tablet for safe keeping. I was still double checking it right up until it was validated a week later.”

Bill’s life changing win is already having an impact. Health issues mean he struggles with the stairs in his current house so he has purchased a new bungalow. Not only will his new home improve his quality of life but it means he will be able to take up his passion of painting again.

Bill explained, “It will make a huge difference having everything on one level. I will have a conservatory and a garage for storage which means I will have space to take up painting again. I used to teach art to children with learning difficulties but I haven’t painted for years.

“We’ve talked about taking a ferry trip to Brussels or France and maybe getting a caravan on the east coast. And of course I’ll be looking after my three sisters too.”

Bill’s winning Monopoly Millionaire 2017 Scratchcard was bought at Co-op store on Markinch High Street. There is a 1 in 3.51 overall chance of winning a prize on the Monopoly Millionaire 2017 Scratchcard. The card costs £5 and prizes range from £5 up to the top prize of £1,000,000.

GameStore is the home of scratchcards and online Instant Win games from The National Lottery, offering players many different and exciting ways to play and win life changing prizes.

The National Lottery changes the lives of winners like Bill as well as communities across the UK – players raise, on average, £30m for National Lottery-funded projects every week. In Fife alone there have been over 2,700 individual National Lottery grants made to date, funding projects across the arts, sports, heritage, health, education, environment, charity and voluntary sectors.

National Lottery funding has helped:

• Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries which offers a new museum, gallery spaces, cafe, shop and reading rooms all adjoining the world's 1st Carnegie Library.
• Markinch Scout Group for equipment to provide social, recreational and educational activities for young people.

For more information on National Lottery funding please visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.