Christmas for a woman in Greenup County is a little greener this year, after winning the top prize on the Kentucky Lottery’s $100,000 Jackpot Scratch-off.
The woman, who told her story anonymously, credits a clerk at the Highway 23 Ashland in Greenup for the win, and she plans to finish Christmas shopping with the windfall.
“I usually play the $5 tickets because that means I can buy more,” the woman said. “They suggested this ticket because it is a new one.”
Retailers across the state started selling $100,000 Jackpot on Dec. 4, 2025, as part of the Kentucky Lottery’s most recent game launch. There are three top prizes of $100,000 and more than 200 $1,000 prizes remaining on the game.
While scratching the ticket off, the woman revealed the “Win” symbol to win the game’s top prize. After realizing she won $100,000, the woman took the ticket to her boss so it could be kept in the company’s safe.
“I have kids at home, and I knew if I left it there something would happen to it,” she laughed. “People joke about their dog eating something; I have to worry about one of my kids spilling something on it. I didn’t want to lose it because it would be heartbreaking since this is life changing for my family.”
The next day after her win, a friend drove her to Kentucky Lottery Headquarters to claim her prize – $72,000 after taxes.
She plans to pay off her car, finish her Christmas shopping and take a family vacation.
“Trips with kids are expensive, but now I can afford to take them to Disney and that will be a good present for Christmas,” she said.
Highway 23 Ashland will get $1,000 for selling the winning ticket.
In 2025, the Kentucky Lottery paid out more than $1.6 billion in prizes. Kentucky Lottery proceeds have funded scholarships and grants for more than 1 million Kentucky college students.
