Two lucky residents from the same Kentucky county struck big lottery wins within weeks of each other, claiming a combined total of nearly $450,000.
A man from Dayton, Ky., who wished to remain anonymous, was just one number shy of hitting the Powerball jackpot during the September 9th drawing. His ticket, purchased at The Cigarette & Beer Outlet, matched four white balls and the Powerball, securing him a $50,000 win from the $121 million jackpot.
This was his first time buying a Kentucky Combo ticket, which includes Powerball. “We always do Quick Picks, but I thought, why not give it a try?” he told Kentucky Lottery officials.
His girlfriend usually checks their tickets, and when she saw the win, she texted him at work: “I’m going to get a car.” He initially didn’t know how much they had won until she sent him a screenshot showing they had hit $50,000. “I was one number away from retirement,” he joked. “But I’m happy with what I got.”
The man took home $36,000 after taxes and plans to use the winnings to pay off debt and buy a car. The Cigarette & Beer Outlet also earned a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Just 11 days later, a Dayton woman, who also chose to stay anonymous, hit the jackpot in the Precious 7’s Fast Play game, winning $431,775.
The woman, a regular Fast Play player, said she felt certain she was going to win the jackpot. On September 20th, after stopping at Dayton Market to buy a ticket, she checked it in the parking lot and couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the word “jackpot.”
In disbelief, she told her husband to get in the car, though he was still pumping gas and jokingly asked if she had won $100. Only after seeing the ticket himself did he realize the scope of the win.
The woman traveled to Louisville to claim her prize, taking home $310,878 after taxes. She plans to use the winnings to pay off bills and support her family. Dayton Market, where the winning ticket was sold, will receive $4,317.75 as a bonus.
This double stroke of luck has made Dayton a hotspot for lottery dreams, with two significant wins in just a matter of days.
