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Six amazing wins highlight Kentucky lottery's thrilling payouts

Stories by Lexington Herald-Leader journalists, with AI summarization

The articles share stories of recent Kentucky Lottery winners and the varied prizes they claimed. They show different ways people win, from scratch-off tickets to draw games.

One man scratched off three tickets and won $225,000 with his final try while sitting at a gas pump. A Powerball ticket bought in London produced a $50,000 prize, but not the jackpot. A Lucky For Life ticket sold in Danville offered $25,000 per year for life, and as of the report, the winner had not claimed it. A Bowling Green player won $50,000 by taking his wife’s advice to try a Deluxe Crossword Doubler ticket. In another case, a woman revealed the largest Kentucky scratch-off prize to date, at $5 million, on her birthday. Another winner in Henderson County took home $1 million from a Casino Nights ticket and opted for a lump sum payout.

Each story highlights the variety of lottery games and ways people discover their wins, sometimes through everyday routines or family suggestions. Winners often travel to headquarters in Louisville to claim larger prizes. The articles mention the importance of keeping tickets secure and signing them right after winning.

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

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

Jugador de la Lotería de la Florida gana $131,000. ¿Dónde se vendió el afortunado boleto?

NO. 3: WESTERN KENTUCKY MAN PAID $20 FOR A LOTTERY TICKET — IT PROVED TO BE A 7-FIGURE WINNER

“I was kind of in shock,” he told Kentucky Lottery officials. | Published March 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Jugador compra un boleto de $50 de la Lotería y se lleva jugoso premio.

NO. 4: KY WOMAN’S BIRTHDAY LOTTERY TICKET WINS HER THE LARGEST SCRATCH-OFF PRIZE ON RECORD

“This birthday is going to be hard to beat,” she told lottery officials. | Published May 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Meredith Howard

Boletos comprados en Publix y dos 7-Eleven se reparten el premio gordo de la Lotería de la Florida.

NO. 5: ‘ZEROS KEPT APPEARING.’ KY MAN SCRATCHES OFF NOT 1, BUT 3 WINNING LOTTERY TICKETS

All three of the scratch-offs he bought were winners, but one was worth a lot more than the others. | Published May 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Meredith Howard

A pile of U.S. dollar bills of varying denominations. By Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 6: 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.