Not your average anniversary gift: Kentucky couple hits it big with instant-win jackpot
One Lexington-area couple received the anniversary gift of a lifetime thanks to an instant-win lottery game.
Diane and Charlie Laue recently won nearly $110,000 after playing a few rounds of the Kentucky Lottery’s Celtic Coins Jackpot instant-win game, officials said in a release. The six-figure prize helped ring in the Nicholasville couple’s 44th wedding anniversary.
“I just shook. I couldn’t believe it,” Diane told lottery officials. “This is a godsend.”
The miraculous moment came when Diane was using her computer to purchase her weekly roundup of Powerball and Mega Millions tickets. She took a chance on three $5 entries for the Celtic Coins Jackpot game and won the $109,707.07 prize on her third try.
“She was screaming like a banshee from the house,” Charlie told lottery officials.
“I was yelling for him to come in here,” Diane added. “I didn’t want to touch the screen.”
A quick call to the Kentucky Lottery’s customer service line provided reassurance the couple’s prize was no joke. Diane and Charlie drove to the Kentucky Lottery’s headquarters Monday — the day of their anniversary — to claim their prize, which fell to $78,440.55 after taxes.
The odds of winning a jackpot through a $5 Celtic Coins Jackpot game are roughly 1 in 1 million, the Kentucky Lottery says. The overall odds of winning prize on a $5 ticket are 1 in 4.40, according to the game’s rules.
With the money, Diane and Charlie plan to visit Hawaii and Paris one day. For now, they’re preparing to visit Myrtle Beach to celebrate their wedding anniversary as planned.
“We’re just a retired couple looking to travel,” Diane said.
Help is available in Kentucky for those struggling with gambling.
If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, help is available by calling 1-800-522-4700.
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