Passing the time with a late-night lottery game, Kentucky woman wins six-figure jackpot
One Northern Kentucky woman earned a six-figure prize while playing an online lottery game to pass some time before bed.
Ashley Smith, of Dover, Ky., in Mason County, won $224,349.50 while playing the Kentucky Lottery’s online Bank Buster Jackpot game in early August. Describing herself as a casual lottery player, Smith couldn’t believe she lucked into the progressive jackpot.
“I was just waiting for the kids to go to sleep and decided to play,” Smith told lottery officials. “The big green screen popped up, and I couldn’t believe it.”
The next morning, Smith drove to the Kentucky Lottery’s headquarters to claim her prize alongside her husband. He told lottery officials he was startled when she jumped out of bed after hitting the jackpot.
“I thought she was faking,” Smith’s husband told the Kentucky Lottery. “I called my mom, and she couldn’t believe it either.”
After taxes, Smith received a check for $160,409.89. The couple told Kentucky Lottery officials the money will help pay bills following a rough week on the roads.
“I totaled my car last week,” Smith told lottery officials. Her husband said he struck a deer on the way to work last week.
Bank Buster Jackpot tasks players with matching tiles on a five-by-four grid. Certain in-game actions can result in bonus winnings and additional prizes.
According to Bank Buster Jackpot’s rules, the chances of hitting the progressive jackpot start at 1 in 10 million for a 50-cent bet and increase to 1 in 250,000 with a maximum $20 bet. Each progressive jackpot starts at $100,000.
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.
Do you have a question about the lottery in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 11:54 AM.
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