‘Zeros kept appearing.’ KY man scratches off not 1, but 3 winning lottery tickets
A Morehead health care worker recently bought three winning scratch-off Kentucky Lottery tickets from a convenience store while stopping for gas.
The man, who’s in his 20s, has opted to remain anonymous. He scratched off his tickets while sitting in his car at the gas pump, and realized each of the first two had won him $50. His third ticket, however, was particularly lucky.
“I’m sure everyone has a way that they scratch off a ticket,” he told lottery officials, according to a Thursday press release. “I like to scratch the winning numbers at the top and go from there. I saw that ‘38’ was a winner and as these zeros kept appearing I knew this was going to be a big prize.”
About 10 minutes after scratching off his last ticket, he realized just how much he had won.
“I just blacked out for a minute,” he said.
The lucky player won the $225,000 top prize from his $10 scratch-off ticket. The game is called “$225,000 Payday,” and he bought his tickets from a Quality Mart in Maysville. That retailer will receive $1,620 for selling the winning ticket.
After scratching off his tickets, he continued on to work, where he signed and secured his ticket, though he didn’t fully relax until he made it home later and was able to store the ticket in his gun safe.
“I was anxious all day at work but felt better once I got it home and in my safe,” he told lottery officials.
The next day, he had planned to be on a small vacation with friends, but instead headed to Kentucky Lottery’s Louisville headquarters to claim his prize.
“I figured I better sit tight and come cash this ticket,” he said.
He took home $162,000 after taxes, and told lottery officials he plans to use his winnings to take his fiancée and their son on a summer vacation, as well as add to their son’s college fund.
As of Wednesday, two $225,000 prizes are still up for grabs in the game. The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.25, according to the Kentucky Lottery website, and prizes start at $10.
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.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available by calling 1-800-522-4700.
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