A man from Akron, Ohio, has struck it big with a $3.5 million Classic Lotto prize after faithfully playing the same set of numbers for 22 years. The Ohio Lottery announced that all six of the numbers the man purchased matched, leading to his incredible jackpot win.
Throughout the years, this man had only managed to win minor prizes with his chosen numbers, but he never gave up. When asked why he continued to play the same numbers, he simply stated that he was stubborn and persistent.
Despite becoming a snowbird in recent years and not always residing in his hometown, he never stopped buying lottery tickets. He mentioned that even when he was away, he would ask friends to purchase tickets for him, spending $10 each month on his lottery habit.
Having played the same numbers for over two decades, these numbers had become ingrained in his memory. When the winning numbers – 6-8-16-20-26-45 – were drawn on February 4th, he immediately recognized them, despite not holding the physical ticket in his hand.
Upon seeing the results, the elated man excitedly shouted to his wife, “We’re going to have a very big swimming pool!” He then boarded a plane back home to retrieve the long-awaited ticket that held his fortune.
With his windfall, the lucky winner plans to purchase a house, build a family gym, and fulfill his promise to his wife by constructing a large swimming pool.
The Ohio Lottery noted in a press release that since 1974, they have contributed over $34 billion to education initiatives through lottery sales.