Man Has Played the Same Lottery Numbers for 22 Years. Now, He’s Finally Won a Major Prize

Persistence finally paid off for one lottery player.

An Ohio man won a major lottery prize this month after using the same numbers for 22 years, according to a release from the Ohio Lottery.

The man, whose identity was not made public, played Classic Lotto with the numbers 6, 8, 16, 20, 26, and 45. He won the $3.5 million jackpot.

The winner selected the cash option of $1.7 million and is expected to receive about $1,280,000 after taxes, lottery officials said.

The winning ticket was sold at a Mapco convenience store in Akron, roughly 40 miles south of Cleveland.

Lottery officials said the man had consistently played the same six numbers for more than two decades. Despite mostly winning only small prizes, he continued to play because, as officials described, he was “stubborn.”

The man said he spent about $10 per month on tickets. When he was out of town, his best friend would buy tickets for him.

After winning the jackpot, the man retired from his job. He told his wife, “We’re going to get a really big pool!”

In addition to building a pool, he said he plans to buy a house and set up a home gym.