A Jefferson County woman got far more excitement than she bargained for after a $1 online play on the Kentucky Lottery’s Elephant King Jackpots Instant Play game exploded into a staggering $261,431.85 win.

What started as a casual late‑night spin for Cynthia Bader quickly turned into a moment she’ll never forget.

“I told myself, ‘Once I get down to 25 cents, I’m done,’” she said with a laugh. “I was just playing for fun.”

She almost played a different game – Jackpot Spectacular – but something nudged her toward Elephant King Jackpots.

“I like elephants,” she said. “For whatever reason I thought, ‘I’m going to do elephants tonight.’”

That instinct paid off.

“When I hit ‘spin,’ my phone went completely blank,” Bader recalled. “Then it started shaking, and all of a sudden ‘MEGA’ popped up. And right under it was my elephant. I yelled so loud!”

Bader first learned about the Kentucky Lottery app from a friend. Now she enjoys the convenience of playing from home – though she never imagined it would lead to a life‑changing win.

The moment she realized she’d won more than a quarter‑million dollars, her mind went straight to the dream her family has carried for years: seeing the country together again.

During COVID, they packed up their child and their dog, climbed into their pickup truck, and drove 9,000 miles across the western U.S.

“I’d like to take $100,000 and put it away,” she said. “And then we’re looking for an RV.”

Bader left the Kentucky Lottery with more than $189,000 after taxes and a renewed sense of adventure.

“We want to do it again, but this time in an RV,” she said. “This makes that possible.”