Some big catches happen out on the water, but a woman in Fairdale, Ky. recently learned some of the biggest ones can happen online. Marcie Holloway reeled in a $200,000 prize playing the Kentucky Lottery’s Fishing For Gold On Tour Instant Play game.
Holloway says she frequently enjoys online games and scratch-offs and decided to try her luck early one morning when she couldn’t sleep. Her husband Jeremiah is an avid fisherman who routinely targets big catfish in local rivers, so she naturally gravitated toward the fishing game with a playful strategy in mind.
“I got up and I was, like oh, I’m gonna go fishing for a little bit,” she said with a smile while holding her phone.
After starting the morning with a smaller $640 win, Holloway decided to roll her cash into the Hawaii-themed fishing game. On just her third play, the digital reels started spinning and landed on the staggering $200,000 payout.
Stunned by the unexpected windfall, Marcie ran to share the incredible news with her husband who was still asleep in bed. “I couldn’t believe it, it’s more than I have ever won in my life,” Holloway said.
After taxes, Marcie and her husband Jeremiah walked away with $145,000.
The couple plans to put the prize money toward home improvements, paying off bills, and maybe even some new fishing gear. “I have six rods that have been sitting just waiting,” said Jeremiah. “So maybe I will find some new reels.”
Marcie laughed and said she is sticking with the fishing games since it pays out better than most of her husband’s catches.
“I always joke with him because I’m like, ‘I’m fishing, too!’” Marcie said.
