A Morehead woman has won the first $75,000 top prize playing the Kentucky Lottery’s Grillin’ & Chillin’ scratch-off ticket.
The game went on sale May 11.
Hollis stopped at Viking Fuel & Foodmart the day before Mother’s Day to purchase her Scratch-off tickets. She told lottery officials she normally purchases two Scratch-off tickets at a time.
Rather than play the tickets, Hollis took them to the vending machine to scan and see if she had won.
“It said I won $75,000. I might have scanned it 3 times.” Linda, in disbelief, took the Scratch-off ticket to the clerk and said he didn’t believe her either. “He scanned it, and it said the prize was too large for the store to pay.”
The winning ticket matched the number 23 to win the game’s $75,000 top prize.
Hollis immediately called her husband, who was with her when she came to Kentucky Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. “When she called, she wasn’t really talking that well,” he joked. He told her, “Well, congratulations!”
This isn’t the first time Hollis has won a big prize playing the Kentucky Lottery. A few months prior, she said she won $5,000 playing Lucky for Life.
When asked what her plans were with her winnings, Linda’s brother jokingly interjected “I think she’ll give part to her brother.” Hollis laughed and said she was thinking of putting some into a savings account and maybe purchasing a new car, but she wasn’t sure yet.
Hollis took home a check for $53,625 after taxes.
Viking Fuel & Foodmart will receive $750 for selling the winning ticket.