Kentucky supervisor buys team lottery tickets for Christmas — and group splits a big win
A second shift supervisor at Med Center Health in Bowling Green decided to treat her team to scratch-off tickets for Christmas, and her decision paid off big time when they landed a $50,000 win.
Sheila Colter is a supervisor in the health care provider’s environmental services division, which is tasked with keeping the patient rooms, medical equipment and other common areas clean. Colter purchased Christmas gifts for her co-workers, but they hadn’t arrived quickly enough, accoridng to a Tuesday release from Kentucky Lottery.
So the supervisor decided to take $100 of her own money and purchase scratch-off tickets instead. Buying 40 tickets for $1 each and two $30-tickets, Colter distributed them to her team, and a few won small prizes of $5 or $10.
The two $30 tickets, however, paid out a prize of $50.
“I took the $50 and bought the millionaire ticket, and that ticket won $100,” Colter told Kentucky Lottery officials.
The lottery’s Millionaire Club ticket offers prizes starting at $75 and up to four prizes worth $1 million each. The odds of winning any prize on the game are 1 in 2.98.
Colter decided to continue trying her luck on the game.
“I went back and bought two more millionaire tickets, and one of them won the $50,000,” Colter said.
Previously, Colter said, the most she’d won playing the Kentucky Lottery was $20, but she clearly had better success playing as a group. There were 21 players altogether.
After taxes, Colter collected a check worth $35,750. Those winnings were split 21 ways, and each employee won about $1,750.
“It means a lot” for her team, Colter said. “There’s several that get to help their family.”
One co-worker’s mother is sick with cancer and plans to use part of the winnings for treatment. For others on the team, the money will help pay rent or buy Christmas gifts.
As for Colter herself, she plans to use her portion of the money to finish her holiday shopping.
The IGA Express on the U.S. 31 W. Bypass in Bowling Green sold the winning ticket, and the retailer will receive a bonus of $500.
Millionaire Club has produced several big winners in Kentucky this fall, including a $1 million prize for a Florence man in October. There has also been two recent $50,000 winners, a Winchester woman who scratched off a lucky ticket in October and a Dixon man in November.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 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.