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A chance Kentucky 5 ticket led to an over a half million dollar win for a Versailles man.
Jeffrey Yeager is an avid Kentucky Lottery player but mostly sticks to playing Scratch-offs.
“I’ve never played it before ever,” Yeager said. “I paid a dollar for it.”
Kentucky 5 is a draw game that boasts a Kentucky exclusive rolling jackpot. The jackpot was up to $530,000 when Yeager’s Quick-Pick ticket matched all five numbers for the Jan. 20 drawing.
Yeager said he put $6 into a Kentucky Lottery vending machine at a Circle K near his home.
“I put six dollars into the machine, and they didn’t have a dollar scratch-off,” he said. “I thought, well, let’s try this one.”
Draw games are uncommon for Yeager, he said he’s only played Powerball once. Yeager has had big wins in the past, but nothing compares to the Kentucky 5 jackpot win.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “There’s no way this is real!”
Yeager said he scanned his Kentucky 5 ticket the next day. When the vending machine screen read, ‘Visit Kentucky Lottery Headquarters,’ he knew it was something big.
“Everybody probably overheard me scream,” Yeager said. “A woman came up to me and said, ‘honey, are you ok?’ And, I said, ‘yes, ma’am. I’m great!’”
He and his wife, Kim, drove to multiple lottery retailers and scanned the winning ticket to make sure it was real.
Yeager and his family were eager to claim their winnings. He said his family had little sleep the night before due to the excitement of coming to lottery headquarters the following Monday.
“Maybe, I’m just dreaming and haven’t woken up yet,” he said. “I never thought in my life that I’d have this much money. I needed it.”
Yeager said he plans to use some of the jackpot winnings to put a down payment on a house.
“I might even get me a diesel truck,” Yeager laughed on his way out.
Jeffrey and Kim walked away with a check for $381,600 after taxes. Circle K in Versailles will receive $5,300 for selling the winning ticket.
