New player unaware of the magnitude of her win
By Kate Northrop
FT. THOMAS, Ky. — A Kentucky preschool teacher was only two weeks into playing the lottery when she won a $178,919 jackpot online with just a tap.
A Kentucky educator could not believe her luck when she won over $178,000 online after having only been playing the lottery for two weeks.
McKenzie Florence of Ft. Thomas saw an ad for the Kentucky Lottery and decided to see what all the fuss was about. She downloaded the Lottery's mobile app and played for the first time on Aug. 13.
"I had just downloaded the app because I saw an advertisement," Florence told the Lottery.
With just a tap, she turned a $10 wager into a $178,919.05 jackpot in the Bankroll Jackpot Instant Play online game, which features a progressive jackpot starting at $100,000, but the rookie player was initially unaware of just how much she had won.
"I hit the button and played, and [the prize amount] popped up," Florence recalled. "I didn't think much about it. I'm like, 'I'll wait until I get home to look at it. It didn't seem real.'"
But an email from the Kentucky Lottery informing her of the big win landed in her inbox, and suddenly it started to feel real.
While at work, the teacher called her mother to tell her the shocking news, but her mother's first reaction was instant worry.
"I was at work, and she called. She never calls me at work unless there's something wrong," Florence's mother explained to Lottery officials. "So, I immediately was like, 'what is wrong?' 'No, no, no it's good. I won the lottery!'"
Both Florence and her mother needed additional confirmation beyond the email from the Lottery to believe the win. They could not fathom that a big check was really coming her way.
"I made her call the lottery twice this week just to make sure it was real," her mother continued. "Until we were sitting here with you [Lottery official], we 100 percent didn't believe it."
Florence was accompanied by her parents when she made the drive to Lottery headquarters in Louisville on Aug. 30. After taxes, she brought home a clean $128,821.72
Florence said the winnings will allow her to afford a car. Not only that, but the prize money will help pay for her college tuition as well.
"It's life changing," she remarked.
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she's only been playing two weeks and wins $178K?
The KY Lottery several instant games on their app and website and player can wager from 2 cents to $50. Some games have rolling jackpots and other have fixed jackpots. Currently one game has a $3.86 million jackpot.
All the drawn games can be played using the app and website too. Eventually all lotteries will offer Online play and maybe laws will change and it will be offered outside state borders.
As a Ft Thomas resident I'm so happy for her🍾🍾‼️‼️‼️
Only a sore loser would be upset at a new player winning. A longer length of time playing does not make you more entitled to win.
Glad for her win.
It's good she is using part of the money for her college tuition. Not only that, she has a great lottery story to tell for the rest of her life!
Beginner's luck I guess.
Congratulations to the winner.
Some college overcharging her for tuition is not what I call a good thing to use the money for. Let that student loan she took out fester and hope that student loan forgiveness is enacted.
Absolutely terrible financial advice. Not happening.
A college degree is a great investment but some people are not college material.
She sounds like a smart and responsible young woman who pays her debts.
I actually believe this beginner's luck story for a change, because the winner is young and she called her mom for help. Billybucks, you must be joking about the loan forgiveness!
She called her mother to tell her that she won. It was her mother who was skeptical about it. I would just continue to make payments on the student loan. Maybe get a few payments ahead. If Harris gets in she will continue all of Joe's policies and that includes knocking off at least 10k worth of the loan.
Where have you been? The student loan forgiveness program was already shut down by the courts and will be again.
I am referring to the not for profit loans vs those sketchy for profit schools.
Most of the student loan forgiveness was for prior payments which had not been properly credited. The winner would still have to make 10 years of timely payments.
Why should taxpayers pay for that debt forgiveness?