A Kentucky man’s quick decision to try a new lottery game turned into a life-changing win — and it was far bigger than he first thought.
According to Kentucky Lottery officials, the Richmond man, who chose to remain anonymous, purchased his regular Powerball ticket before deciding to spend an extra $2 on a Kentucky Lottery Fast Play – BIG W!N ticket.
“It was a fluke, really,” he explained. “I had a couple of extra bucks and thought, why not?”
At first glance, he believed the ticket showed a $96 prize. It wasn’t until several days later that he discovered the truth.
“I went back to the store where I bought it a few days later, and they told me they couldn’t cash it because it was more than they could pay out,” he said. He then tried his local Walmart with the same result. That’s when he took a closer look and realized the ticket said “jackpot.”
His Fast Play – BIG W!N game had matched the number 20, earning him 20% of the $493,113 jackpot — a total of $98,622.
The first person he shared the news with was his wife, though he jokingly told her not to “trip out,” which at first made her think something bad had happened. Once she heard the real reason, she was ecstatic.
“We’ve been wanting to buy a home for a long time, and this will give us more options,” she said.
After taxes, the couple walked away with $71,007.84. They plan to use the money toward a new home, invest in a vehicle, and set aside savings for the future.
