A man who said he has been playing the California Lottery since its inception 40 years ago bought a $1 million-winning ticket late last year at a San Jose store, state lottery officials said.

He also may have discovered beyond a reasonable doubt what his lucky number is.

The man, identified as Jess Daniels, won with a card in the “$100 Million Mega Cash Scratchers” game. He bought it in December at the Gateway Food & Liquor Store in the 1300 block of N. Bascom Avenue.

“So check this out,” Daniels said in a statement released by lottery officials. “It was Dec. 19, the winning number was No. 19, and the matching number also was 19. When I filled out the paperwork, it required a 19-digit number, and on the 19th of February, I received my check. So No. 19 is now my lucky number.”

Daniels told officials he previously had won $1,000 in the game, and that in 1986 — a year after the lottery began — he won $25.

The store that sold the ticket also will receive $5,000, according to the the California Lottery.