Kentucky lottery winners: Dreams fulfilled by big payouts

These curated articles reveal the of experience several Kentucky lottery winners after their big payouts.

A woman in Lexington used her $250,000 scratch-off prize to plan a vacation and buy a new car. A lottery player in Pikeville won $3 million from a scratch-off ticket and said he would use the money to pay off debt. One Mayfield woman won an online lottery cash prize and decided to spend much of her winnings on her children before enjoying a distillery tour.

Read more about their experiences below.

Michael Perry poses for a photo with his wife Felicia. The Owen County couple have big plans for their Kentucky Lottery winnings.

NO. 1: KENTUCKY MAN PLANS TO PAY OFF HOME AFTER A BIG WIN ON A $10 LOTTERY TICKET

A $10 scratch-off ticket brought tears to Felicia Perry’s eyes when her husband, Michael, revealed the Owen County couple had won $250,000. | Published September 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

NO. 2: AN EASTERN KENTUCKY WOMAN PLANS TO PAY OFF HER HOME FOLLOWING 6-FIGURE LOTTERY WIN

The lucky Laurel County woman won on a $1 ticket. | Published January 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Tamika Waddy, of Lexington, poses with her big check in early January at Kentucky Lottery’s Louisville headquarters after winning $200,000 on a scratch-off ticket.

NO. 3: LEXINGTON LOTTERY PLAYER PLANS FOR VACATION, NEW RIDE AFTER WINNING 6-FIGURE PRIZE

She purchased the lucky ticket from an area grocery store. | Published January 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jackie Starkey

Janita Carter poses with her winnings after scratching off the top, $100,000 prize on the lottery Kentucky Lottery’s Ring of Fire game.

NO. 4: LOTTERY TICKET REMINDS KY WOMAN OF A HIT CLASSIC COUNTRY SONG. IT WON HER FAMILY $100K

“It’s not going to just go to us. We have people we love,” the winner told Kentucky Lottery officials. | Published January 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Cheryl and Bobby Taylor pose for a picture with their winnings.

NO. 5: LEXINGTON COUPLE CASHES IN ON A BIG POWERBALL WIN WITH PLANS TO TRAVEL OVERSEAS

The couple told the lottery they play in support of scholarships that once benefited their own children. | Published February 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Alguien compró en Vero Beach un raspadito que ganó $1,000,000 y que aún no ha reclamado.

NO. 6: KY MAN OCCASIONALLY WINS GAS MONEY PLAYING LOTTERY. THIS TIME IT WAS A MUCH LARGER PRIZE

He told lottery officials he has sometimes won $100 or $200, but never millions. | Published February 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jackie Starkey

Linda Grizzle and her son, Shannon Farthing, have the choice to receive their prize in graduated annual payments or in a lump cash sum.

NO. 7: CENTRAL KENTUCKY MOTHER, SON DUO CLAIMS STATE’S $167.3M POWERBALL JACKPOT WIN

“This is going to pay off my debt,” on of the winners told the Kentucky Lottery. | Published April 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Meredith Howard

Sydeny Stevins, of Alexandria in Campbell County, poses recently at Kentucky Lottery headquarters in Louisville with her winnings.

NO. 8: KENTUCKY WOMAN THOUGHT HER LOTTERY TICKET LOOKED SUSPICIOUS—IT WAS A BIG WINNER

She told lottery officials she thought there might be something different about this ticket. | Published May 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Bridgett Guthrie, of Mayfield, poses at Kentucky Lottery headquarters recently after winning a second-chance prize.

NO. 9: KY WOMAN’S ONLINE LOTTERY PLAY LATER WINS HER A LARGE SECOND-CHANCE CASH PRIZE

The lottery game offers a second-chance drawing for players to win cash and more. | Published June 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lindsay Smith

Publix del sur de la Florida vende su segundo boleto de lotería con un premio mayor en dos meses.

NO. 10: SENTIMENTAL TICKET NUMBERS WIN KENTUCKY LOTTERY PLAYER A 6-FIGURE PRIZE

The man purchased Pick 3 and Pick 4 tickets as part of a Christmas in July promotion. | Published July 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lindsay Smith

El único boleto con premio mayor de la Lotería de Florida del domingo se compró en el sur de la Florida.

NO. 11: KY MAN SWITCHES UP LOTTERY GAMES. HIS $20 WAGER MADE HIM A MILLIONAIRE

A winning scratch-off ticket from the Kentucky Lottery’s Feelin’ Like A Million Bucks game turned a Shelby County man into an instant millionaire with a $20 wager. | Published August 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

NO. 12: KY MAN THOUGHT WON HE $96 ON A LOTTERY TICKET. IT WAS 1,000 TIMES THAT AMOUNT

A Richmond man who initially thought he’d won $96 on a Kentucky Fast Play ticket ended up winning more than 1,000 times that amount, the lottery announced Aug. | Published August 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.