KY woman’s birthday lottery ticket wins her the largest scratch-off prize on record
A woman from South-Central Kentucky recently won a $5 million prize on her birthday, the largest sum won from a scratch-off in Kentucky Lottery history.
The winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, recently bought the $5,000,000 Fortune ticket from Grand Mart in Tompkinsville and scratched it off in her car. She matched the number 46 in the second-to-last row, securing her the win, lottery officials said in a Tuesday press release.
“I was shocked! I didn’t know what to think,” she told lottery officials.
She said she and the store clerk were “both shocked” when the clerk scanned the ticket and told her she was the winner.
The lucky lottery player was excited to rush home and share the good news with her fiancé.
“She was shaking. She was tore up,” the winner’s fiancé said. “I thought she was pulling my leg at first. I was really excited for her.”
The couple headed to lottery headquarters in Louisville to claim the prize. They opted for the lump sum cash payment as opposed to $250,000 per year for 20 years. The lump sum cash payment was valued at $3.4 million, and the winner received a check for $2,448,000 after taxes, the press release said.
“We don’t see money like this. I’m still in shock and it just doesn’t seem real,” she told lottery officials as she cried.
The couple plans to purchase a new home with the winnings.
“This birthday is going to be hard to beat,” the lucky player told lottery officials.
The Tompkinsville Grand Mart will receive $34,000 for selling the winning ticket.
As of Monday, one more $5 million prize and 11 $50,000 prizes remain in the Fortune game. The odds of winning change as tickets are sold and prizes are claimed, the Kentucky Lottery website says.
Kentucky Lottery officials advise winners to sign the back of their tickets, keep them in a secure location and claim their prize within 180 days of the drawing. Those who win more than $25,000 must claim their prize at the lottery’s headquarters, and should call 1-877-789-4532 to make an appointment before heading in.
In fiscal year 2024, 70% of Kentucky Lottery proceeds went to winners, 20% went to the commonwealth for college scholarships and grant programs, 5% went to retailers and 5% went toward administrative costs, the organization reports.
This wasn’t Kentucky’s only major lottery win recently. In April, a Georgetown mother and son duo won the largest Powerball jackpot in the commonwealth’s history, at $167.3 million. And two Kentucky stores also sold large prize winning tickets, worth $50,000 and $150,000, in the April 19 Powerball drawing.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available by calling 1-800-522-4700.
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