Some don't win the lottery ever.

Ronald Pelissero of Gainesville has won two major prizes in the past seven years, most recently $750,000 through the holiday-only Jingle Jumbo Bucks contest.

Pelissero, 65, received the check from the Georgia Lottery Corp. during a presentation ceremony at noon Tuesday at the QuikTrip convenience store in Roswell, where he paid for the winning ticket.

He first won $197,930 in 2005 playing Fantasy 5.

"It's pretty cool," said the
remodeling contractor of his lucky touch. "I play every game, every time I can all over the state, wherever I might travel."

With Fantasy 5, he invested his winnings in real estate, and that experience otherwise "gave us an opportunity to have some fun."

Pelissero said he was sitting in his work truck when he scratched his latest prize on Dec. 6. He was working on a job in Roswell. It was raining and dark, and he initially couldn't see that he'd won.

"I was at the right place at the right time," he said. "... I signed the back of the ticket, so no one else could claim it, and went back to work."

Pelissero said he was excited about the win but didn't feel the need to cash in the prize immediately.

"It got into the next year, tax-wise, and there was no need to rush," he said. "We knew it was coming and we had so long to cash it in."

Pelissero, who has six adult children and 11 grandchildren, and his wife, Grace, plan to invest his winnings.

Also, he's looking to do some traveling.

"I want to go to Australia or New Zealand," he said. "I'm not sure, but we're thinking about it."

All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including the HOPE Scholarship and pre-kindergarten programs.