Kentucky Woman Wins $1M Lottery Prize While Out to Buy Ice Cream: ‘It Happened for a Reason'

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of Kentucky Jackpot lottery ticket (left); Stock image of ice cream.Photo:Kentucky Lottery; Getty

Kentucky Lottery; Getty

A Kentucky woman won $1 million after stopping to buy a lottery ticket while out on an ice cream run.Lottery officials said the Montgomery County woman was on her way to Dairy Queen to get herself a Blizzard when she stopped at a Shell gas station in Mount Sterling, according to FOX affiliateWDRBand NBC affiliateWLEX.It was there that she purchased the lucky $20 Kentucky Jackpot ticket with the million-dollar prize, CBS affiliateWKYTreported.The woman then went back to her car and scratched the winning ticket. Initially, she was pleased to have simply won her money back.“I thought it was $100 at first but then I saw the comma, so there was more,” she explained, per the WDRB. “I noticed the smaller zeroes and knew it was a big one.”Stock image of a Kentucky Jackpot lottery ticket.Kentucky LotteryAfter learning how much she had won, the woman raced back inside the gas station and asked the clerk, “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”The clerk scanned the ticket, and confirmed the woman had in fact won the grand prize.Instead of getting her ice cream, she called her fiancé and went with him to the lottery headquarters in Louisville.The woman opted to take the lump sum payment of $680,000, which came out to $489,600 after taxes.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Lottery officials said the woman plans to use her winnings to pay for medical bills and become debt free.“It happened for a reason,” her fiancé said, per the reports. “It’s a blessing.”The Shell station in Mount Sterling will receive $6,800 for selling the winning ticket.Kentucky Lottery did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.Only one $680,000 prize remains in the Kentucky Jackpot, according to thelottery officials.

A Kentucky woman won $1 million after stopping to buy a lottery ticket while out on an ice cream run.

Lottery officials said the Montgomery County woman was on her way to Dairy Queen to get herself a Blizzard when she stopped at a Shell gas station in Mount Sterling, according to FOX affiliateWDRBand NBC affiliateWLEX.

It was there that she purchased the lucky $20 Kentucky Jackpot ticket with the million-dollar prize, CBS affiliateWKYTreported.

The woman then went back to her car and scratched the winning ticket. Initially, she was pleased to have simply won her money back.

“I thought it was $100 at first but then I saw the comma, so there was more,” she explained, per the WDRB. “I noticed the smaller zeroes and knew it was a big one.”

Stock image of a Kentucky Jackpot lottery ticket.Kentucky Lottery

Kentucky Lottery

After learning how much she had won, the woman raced back inside the gas station and asked the clerk, “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

The clerk scanned the ticket, and confirmed the woman had in fact won the grand prize.

Instead of getting her ice cream, she called her fiancé and went with him to the lottery headquarters in Louisville.

The woman opted to take the lump sum payment of $680,000, which came out to $489,600 after taxes.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Lottery officials said the woman plans to use her winnings to pay for medical bills and become debt free.

“It happened for a reason,” her fiancé said, per the reports. “It’s a blessing.”

The Shell station in Mount Sterling will receive $6,800 for selling the winning ticket.

Kentucky Lottery did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Only one $680,000 prize remains in the Kentucky Jackpot, according to thelottery officials.

source: people.com