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by WKRC
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LONDON, Ky. (WKRC) – A couple from London, Ky., is celebrating a life-changing win after hitting the jackpot on a Kentucky Lottery Scratch-off ticket. The pair, who have been married for over three decades and wish to remain anonymous, won $1,500,000 playing the $20 "Wild Cash 200X."
The husband, a longtime lottery player, said he typically sticks to $10 games but decided to try his luck with a different ticket from a vending machine. "I'm surprised that I even bought that ticket," he said, per a media release. "I usually buy it from the counter."
After scratching off the first row of numbers, he initially thought he might be mistaken. "I checked the ticket fifty times to make sure my eyes weren't bad!" he said. The winning number 21 matched the game's $1.5 million top prize.
Once the reality of the win set in, the man said he was a nervous wreck trying to find a safe place for the ticket before heading to Louisville to claim their prize. "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?"
The couple opted for a $1,025,000 lump sum payment, taking home $738,000 after taxes.
Excited to start a new chapter with fewer financial worries, the couple plans to pay off their home and car and consider retirement. Most importantly, they want to 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 said. He envisions acts of kindness like paying for an elderly couple's dinner or buying a toy for a child.
"We're actually going to just live how we've been living," he added, "but with the ability to help others."
The Kentucky Lottery launched its Wild Cash family of games on June 26, offering players price points ranging from $2 to $30. There are still two $1,500,000 top prizes remaining on the $20 Wild Cash 200X, along with five $20,000 prizes and 18 $5,000 prizes.