Kentucky lottery winners share unique stories and winnings

The articles highlight how Kentucky lottery winners come from various backgrounds and win in different ways. Many winners experience surprise and excitement. Several use their winnings for family, home, or personal projects.

A distillery group of 17 colleagues pooled their money and won a $50,000 Powerball prize. An Eastern Kentucky man played an online game for a $5 wager and won an $859,001 jackpot, the largest of its kind in the state. A woman from Campbell County scratched off a $50,000 ticket at a liquor store and made plans to remodel her home. Another woman from Murray tied her winning Powerball ticket to memories of her late father and chose to build a dream horse barn with her $110,000 prize. Some winners claim their prizes quickly, while others are unclaimed, as with a ticket worth $25,000 per year for life purchased in Mount Washington. A Lexington woman credited a fortune cookie for her $50,000 online instant-play win, which went toward her retirement savings. A Bowling Green man, encouraged by his wife, selected a lottery crossword game and won $50,000. In Estill County, a man used numbers tied to friends and family to play and won $100,000 in a holiday promotion. The stories show Kentucky lottery winners making plans for their windfalls, sometimes inspired by family, chance, or sentiment.

Shannon Williams of Murray, Ky., was inspired to play Powerball in February after celebrating the life of her late father. Her ticket proved a big winner.

NO. 1: IN TRUE KENTUCKY FASHION, WOMAN PLANS TO BUILD DREAM HORSE BARN WITH POWERBALL WIN

The winner told Kentucky Lottery officials she was inspired to play because of her late father. | Published March 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Jeremy Owen and wife Chelsea Hanson pose with their Kentucky Lottery winnings.

NO. 2: KENTUCKY MAN’S WIFE URGED HIM TO PLAY UNIQUE LOTTERY CROSSWORD GAME. THEN HE WON BIG

The man told lottery officials he doesn’t normally like the crossword games. | Published February 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

NO. 3: EASTERN KY MAN BECOMES FIRST IN STATE TO WIN MEGA MONEY JACKPOT. IT’S A RECORD PRIZE

The win made him emotional. | Published January 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

A group of Barton 1792 Distillery workers pooled their money and landed a big Powerball win.

NO. 4: KENTUCKY DISTILLERY WORKERS WHO PLAY POWERBALL FOR FUN SPLITTING BIG WIN 17 WAYS

One of the pool players has been with the distillery for 45 years. | Published April 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

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

NO. 5: 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

Kathy Bailey, of Lexington, poses with her Kentucky Lottery winnings.

NO. 6: LEXINGTON WOMAN CREDITS LUCKY FORTUNE COOKIE FOR BIG ONLINE KENTUCKY LOTTERY WIN

She wagered $5 on the instant play game. | Published July 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

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

NO. 7: 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

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.