Kentucky man buys wife scratch-off ticket for Valentine’s — brings home exciting win
A Woodford County man and his wife got a Valentine’s Day surprise when he brought home a scratch-off ticket that won the couple $50,000, a Kentucky Lottery news release announced Friday.
Jimmy Tate stopped at the Kroger in Versailles for lunch Wednesday and bought some scratch-off tickets for his wife as a Valentine’s Day present. Tate opted to go with the $50,000 CA$H game that cost $30 per ticket.
According to the Kentucky Lottery’s website, the game offers 50 top prizes of $50,000. As of Thursday, there are 22 top prizes remaining. The odds of winning any prize on the game are 1 in 2.42, and winnings start at $30.
After scratching off the ticket to reveal a big prize, Tate decided to go home.
“I could tell the numbers were matching up and I was like this is a big winner, so I went home to finish scratching,” Tate told Kentucky Lottery officials, according to the release.
When Tate got home, he had already matched six numbers and won $2,000. He thought his luck sure, and he continued to scratch off the ticket. That’s when he learned he’d won the game’s top $50,000 prize.
“My wife was as excited as I was,” Tate said. “I couldn’t believe it. I’ve hit $1,000 and $2,000 but the $50,000, I just couldn’t believe it and I was nervous as it was.”
After taxes, Tate’s win was worth $36,000, and he collected a check later that afternoon at Kentucky Lottery headquarters. Tate said he and his wife plan to pay off some debt and put the rest of the winnings toward a new house.
Kroger will also receive $500 for selling the winning ticket.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.
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