An anonymous Louisville man turned a series of scratch-off wins into $50,000; an outcome he attributes in part to a spontaneous change in his usual ticket-scratching routine.
His win on a “$5,000,000 Fortune” ticket marks his largest lottery payout to date.
The man is a regular player who typically spends $20 to $50 a week on tickets and usually adheres to a strict method: always starting with the bonus section, then revealing the prize amount at the bottom. However, with the hustle and bustle of pre-vacation preparations, his routine was disrupted.
“I was doing like 15 other things, getting ready for vacation,” he recalled. “I just started scratching from the first number.”
To his surprise, he immediately uncovered an “Auto” symbol, initially thinking he had won $50. It was only when he continued scratching when the magnitude of his win became clear. “I literally stopped scratching right there,” he added, referring to the extra zeroes in the scratched square which showed $50,000.
The winning ticket was the result of a cumulative series of wins. “I won $20, rolled it over, then won $50, and rolled that into a $50 ticket that paid out $75. I cashed in $50 for another ticket and took the rest in cash.” His string of luck continued, as he later chose the “$5,000,000 Fortune” ticket because he had won $200 on it.
With the prize money, the man intends to pay off his car, with the remainder being allocated to his children’s college funds.
The winning ticket was sold at Thornton’s at the corner of Shelbyville Road and Beckley Station Road in east Louisville and will receive $500 for selling the winning ticket. After taxes, the man received a check for $36,000.
