‘I about came out of my shoes.’ Kentucky woman wins big on chance lottery ticket
Latoyar Waddell of Hopkinsville doesn’t normally drop $50 on lottery tickets, but one day last month, she decided to purchase a ticket on a whim.
Stopping in at the North Main Marathon station in Hopkinsville, Waddell bought her ticket, scratched it off and had it scanned by the cashier — which revealed she’d just won the game’s $50,000 prize. Waddell reeled from the shock.
“I about came out of my shoes,” she said. “I literally couldn’t believe it.”
Waddell bought a ticket for the Kentucky Millionaire Club scratch-off game, which carries a top prize of $1 million. As of April 16, there are three $1 million prizes remaining, and the overall odds of winning any prize stand at 1 in 2.98, according to the Kentucky Lottery’s website.
The Hopkinsville woman told Kentucky Lottery officials she was so surprised by the win, she had to call her sister to come pick her up.
“I almost passed out. I couldn’t breathe,” she said, according to a news release from the lottery. “I was really numb. I couldn’t even go to work that night.”
She traveled to Kentucky Lottery headquarters in Louisville March 21 to collect her prize in person, a requirement for big wins. After taxes, Waddell walked away with a check worth $36,000.
Waddell told state lottery officials she plans to use the money to buy a vehicle and spoil her first grandchild, who she’s expecting to arrive later this year. As for the Hopkinsville gas station, it will receive a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
In February, Willisburg resident Cord Brearton also won $50,000 on a $50 Millionaire Club ticket.
Play responsibly, and know that help is available if you or a loved one have a gambling problem. Call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.
Do you have a question about the Kentucky Lottery for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
