Beginner's luck strikes again
By Kate Northrop
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky woman who had never played the lottery in her life just won a $75,000 prize on her first-ever scratch-off ticket.
A Kentucky lottery player's first big win resulted from her first ticket purchase ever, and it was certainly a cause for celebration.
Rebecca Napier of Frankfort walked into Kentucky Lottery headquarters in Louisville earlier this month with tears of joy in her eyes as she prepared to claim a meaningful prize.
Before she had even thought about buying a lottery ticket for the first time, Napier was getting a package ready to send to her daughter, who is a teacher in Florida.
"My mom recently passed away, so she went to Florida to help take care of my dad," Napier told the Lottery.
She wanted to buy a soft drink before mailing out the package, and that's when a scratch-off ticket caught her eye at Marathon Food Mart on East Main Street in Frankfort. She had never thought about playing before, but a passing thought told her that it would be a nice little surprise to add to her daughter's package.
"I never even drink Coke, but I was just craving it!" she exclaimed. "That's when I saw the ticket, and it just stood out."
Before she knew it, Napier was holding a bright orange $5 "Cash Eruption" scratch-off ticket in her hands, ready to play. She was on the phone with her daughter and decided to scratch it off right then and there.
"I told her we could split the winnings," she said, joking with her daughter.
It wasn't a joke much longer. If anything, a very real prize was staring right back at her. Every single spot on the ticket revealed cash prizes, totaling up to the game's $75,000 top prize.
Napier couldn't believe what she was seeing, so she walked back into the retailer and had the owner of Marathon Food Mart scan the ticket to make sure it was a winner. The entire time, her daughter was still on the phone, asking her mom to quit kidding around.
"She kept saying, 'Stop, Mom, that's mean,'" Napier recounted. "I told her, 'You're going to pay your car off.'"
Sure enough, she claimed her prize earlier this month, and she still recalled how that bright ticket stood out to her among a sea of other colorful games.
"I've never played, but something about that ticket just stood out," she told Lottery officials.
The Marathon Food Mart store owners were just as surprised about the win as Napier. They came out on top with a $750 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.
"They're the nicest people," Napier remarked.
Only one more top prize of $75,000 is left to claim in the "Cash Eruption" game, which launched in July. Players also have a chance at winning the game's remaining 1,522 second-tier prizes of $500 and 6,454 third-tier prizes of $100. The odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.63.
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Good for her, congrats Rebecca, enjoy just in time for the holidays,
Am happy for her. May the win help pay off a pressing need.
I have never played scratch card games and for the life of me, if I was to pick this card on the side walk, I would totally have no idea it's a winning card. I am reading the instructions and looking at the symbols, but still not getting it.
Let me just wait for my PB and MM draws - I know a winning ticket a mile away 🤣🤣🤣
Hadn't read the full story on KLC FB page...thanks for posting it.
Congratulations to her. An easy ride to KLC for her, I-64 West until 3rd St exit, right second light on Main St and follow it on down to KLC headquarters---not that I've had the privilege of going there YET!
I feel the same way about scratchers. They are so busy looking and some mention multiple ways to win. I guess you can check the bar code but I like draw games and picking numbers.
I have looked at the Virginia lottery website for various scratchers and sometimes a few of the big prizes go unclaimed. I wonder if the scratchers confused a winner.
I have read some articles here where a scratch game winner had to ask the store clerk if the card is a winner.
If there is a barcode that can be scanned then I think that makes it a little easier, but just looking at the above card, I wouldn't be able to tell my nose from my elbow 🤣🤣🤣
The Louisiana has an app that will scan barcodes and tell if it's a winner. It can also tell if the ticket has been cashed. It's free and makes things easier.
Ok. I just added up that scratcher in the photo and got to 75k. Is that routine to have so many rows of winning icons vs one row with winning icons?
Yep,
Every line was a winner