Gary Lackey left his home to buy a packet of smokes but came back having won almost £40,000 in a US lottery.
Mr Lackey, from White Hall City, Arkansas, visited his local grocery store, Paul’s Discount Tobacco, to buy some cigarettes. While there he took a spur-of-the-moment punt and bought a Quick Pick Powerball ticket.
He ended up matching four of the five winning numbers along with the Powerball, meaning he’d won a big cash prize. The winning numbers for the lottery jackpot were two, 12, 45, 61, and 64.
Mr Lackey said: ”I play the lottery often and only won a couple of dollars so far. I checked the ticket on the scanner at Paul’s and was surprised when a smiley face appeared.
“So, I gave the ticket to the store clerk for her to check it at the register. I knew I had won big when all the bells and sirens started going off.”
Mr Lackey intends to share some of his newfound fortune with his siblings and save the rest. Additionally, he plans to give back to his community by making a donation to his local church.
Meanwhile, Paul’s Discount Tobacco will receive a $500 commission for selling the winning ticket. Elsewhere, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has confirmed the existence of an unclaimed Powerball ticket worth $150,000.
The ticket was purchased by another Arkansas resident from Doublebee’s Exxon store in Perryville.
The holder of this ticket has 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize. Recently, Ruth Salvatore from Grants Pass, Oregon, experienced a life-changing lottery win.
Despite being her first time playing, she purchased five tickets for the Win for Life draw on June 5. She will receive an annual payment of £40k from the Oregon Lottery for the remainder of her life.
