‘I screamed!’ Kentucky woman thought she won $5 on lottery, but took much larger prize
A woman from Hopkinsville, Ky., thought she won $5 from her scratch-off ticket, but was surprised to learn her win was much bigger.
Reshawn Toliver bought five $5 Wild Cash Multiplier tickets from Skyline Fuel in Hopkinsville earlier in March, according to a Friday Kentucky Lottery release, and scratched them off at home.
Her last ticket had three 7s on Game 2, meaning she won that game’s prize.
“I figured it was going to be another $5 win,” Toliver said. “I even rolled my eyes in frustration when I saw that.”
Toliver had actually won $90,000 from the ticket. Skyline Fuel will receive $900 for selling the winning ticket, the Kentucky Lottery reported.
“I screamed! I’ve never hollered that loud before,” she said.
Toliver’s son and boyfriend were relaxing at home when she scratched off the tickets and were confused to hear Toliver’s shouts.
“I needed to calm down. I was lost for a minute,” she said. “One minute, it’s like breathe, the next minute, it’s like stop laughing. I can hear the scream over and over again in my head.”
She drove to the Kentucky Lottery’s headquarters in Louisville March 4 and received a check for $64,800.
The winner told lottery officials she had been hoping to quit her job and find something else.
“I was unhappy with my job and God made a way,” Toliver said. “I felt bad leaving but I’m relieved to be able to quit my job.”
The odds of winning any prize in Wild Cash Multiplier are 1 in 3.65, according to the Kentucky Lottery. While Toliver took the game’s top prize, smaller amounts are still up for grabs as of Thursday, including:
12 $5,000 prizes
18 $2,500 prizes
79 $1,000 prizes
173 $500 prizes
161 $250 prizes
241 $200 prizes
You can also win smaller prizes in the scratch-off game, with prize amounts starting at $5.
The jackpot has grown substantially for another lottery game. The Powerball jackpot is up to an estimated $935 million as of Friday, and the next drawing will take place Saturday.
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 Kentucky Lottery 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.
