Edmonson County man wins big playing his birth date on Kentucky’s Pick 4 lottery game
It wasn’t his birthday, but a Brownsville man’s patience recently paid off when he won big playing his birth date on the Kentucky Lottery’s Pick 4 game.
James Payton Jr. plays the game daily, usually playing the month and day he was born as his numbers. He was purchasing his ticket at BP Fastrac on Nashville Road in Bowling Green for the midday drawing Sunday when he saw the winning numbers pop up on his phone.
He was excited to share the news with his girlfriend, he told lottery officials.
“I saw my numbers and told her, ‘I think I just won $140,000,’” he said. “I had just been saying to her, ‘You have to play to win.’”
He initially miscalculated his winnings, however. Payton had actually $115,600.
Payton wasn’t the only one who got lucky either. His girlfriend, who normally doesn’t play, decided on a whim to purchase a ticket and won $60.
“She was excited about winning and wasn’t too happy with me stealing her thunder,” Payton said jokingly, according to a Friday Kentucky Lottery news release.
The Edmonson County man drove all the way to the state’s lottery headquarters in Louisville Monday to claim his winnings. There, he received $82,654 after taxes.
He plans to purchase a van for his general contracting business, and the BP Fastrac in Bowling Green will receive $1,156 for selling the winning ticket.
If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.
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