Lexington lottery player plans for vacation, new ride after winning 6-figure prize
A Lexington woman is starting 2025 with plans for a vacation and new vehicle after winning big on a Kentucky Lottery scratch-off ticket.
Tamika Waddy told lottery officials she often plays the scratch-offs strategically, going for tickets at the end of rolls or certain numbers within rolls, according to a Jan. 3 release from the agency. When purchasing tickets on New Year’s Day at the Richmond Road Kroger, however, Waddy shook up her usual plans a bit, first getting six tickets then opting for just one more.
That ticket, a Winter Ca$h scratch-off, proved to be a big winner, to the tune of $250,000 or a one-time lump sum of $200,000.
In Winter Ca$h, players are tasked with matching their ticket’s numbers to the winning numbers, with 15 advertised ways to win. The tickets cost $10 each, and prizes range from $10 to the $200,000 lump sum, or $250,000 over 10 years. Most prizes are between $10 and $20, however.
The odds of any win on the game are 1 in 2.98.
Waddy took her tickets home to scratch, quickly finding she had lucked into the top prize on the game while on the phone with her father.
“I’m getting my Chevy Equinox!,” Waddy told Kentucky Lottery officials when she collected her winnings the next day.
The Lexington woman opted for the lump-sum payout, receiving a check for $144,000 after taxes. In addition to a new vehicle, she told lottery officials she hopes to take her son to the beach with her winnings.
The Richmond Road Kroger will also get a prize of $2,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Waddy isn’t the only lucky Kentucky scratch-off player recently. An anonymous Laurel County woman won $123,000 on a different game, the lottery announced this month.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.
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