Kentucky man switches out $10 lottery ticket routine for $20 game. He won big
After winning more than $1 million playing a Kentucky Lottery scratch-off game, a London couple plans to pay off their home and car, possibly retire and give back to their community.
“I promised the Lord that if I ever won big, that I would [help] the elderly and children,” the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the lottery, according to a Tuesday release from the agency.
“We’re actually going to just live how we’ve been living,” he added. “But with the ability to help others.”
As a longtime player, the man told the lottery he normally plays $10 games and purchases his tickets from the counter, but this time, he decided to change up his routine. He purchased a $20 Wild Cash 200X ticket from a vending machine and matched the No. 21 to win the game’s top prize of $1.5 million.
The revelation sent him spiraling.
“What if the house burns down?” he joked. “What if I put it in my pocket and rub the numbers off? What if my truck gets stolen?”
Two days later, the man cashed in his winnings at Kentucky Lottery headquarters in downtown Louisville, a requirement for big wins.
According to the lottery’s news release, the couple decided to take the lump sum payment of $1,025,000 rather than $75,000 annually for 20 years. After taxes, the couple took home $738,000.
The couple plans to start the next chapter of their life unburdened by financial worries.
“I don’t have to [worry about] the electric bill that’s coming in,” the man told the lottery.
The man said he wants to give back with acts of charity for children and the elderly.
According to the lottery’s release, it launched several Wild Cash games June 26 at price points between $2 and $30. As of Sept. 22, there are two top prizes of $1.5 million remaining on the $20 Wild Cash 200X. Winning the game’s top prize is attached to odds of 1 in 400,000, according to the game’s official rules.
In other recent Kentucky Lottery news, particularly for the Wild Cash scratch-off game, an Owen County couple recently won $250,000 on the game.