Getting a big win in the lottery is definitely an exciting time for players.

That is exactly what happened for two women in Arkansas, as they recently claimed the lottery prizes of their dreams at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center.

Diamond Bingo instant game win

The first lucky winner was North Little Rock resident Sandra R., who won $75,000 playing the $3 Diamond Bingo instant game. Sandra was out doing some grocery shopping when she purchased the winning ticket at Circle K #309, located at 1220 Highway 35 N. in Benton.

When talking with lottery officials, Sandra said it was a “random thought” that made her purchase the winning ticket. She said she plays lottery games “in a few spurts here and there,” but she recently discussed the Bingo game with a friend, and it was still on her mind. After finishing up her errands, she decided to stop and purchase a Diamond Bingo ticket with the remaining $3.

Sandra didn't get around to scratching the ticket until the following day, but when she saw she had won the $75,000 top prize, she thought:

This has got to be a mistake.

Two of her good friends visited moments after she found out she won, and they thought something was wrong because Sandra's face was completely red when they walked in.

Sandra likes to joke around, so they thought she was messing with them at first. However, they eventually came around, and one of them actually accompanied her to the claim center. Even with the check in hand, Sandra thinks this is all a dream, and she is just going to wake up one day. She said she plans on starting a college fund for her granddaughter and making a few purchases for herself with the winnings.

Following Sandra's top prize win, there is only one top prize remaining for the Diamond Bingo instant game.

A big birthday win

What better way to celebrate your birthday than winning $25,000 in the LOTTO drawing?

That is what Kelli W. from Fayetteville did after purchasing the winning ticket for her birthday for the March 20 LOTTO drawing. Kelli purchased the winning ticket at Murphy Express 8559, located at 3189 W. Wedington Drive in Fayetteville.

The winning numbers for the March 20 drawing were 11, 21, 24, 27, 28, and 29, and the bonus number was 25.

Kelli and her boyfriend are weekly LOTTO players and were going to buy a ticket for the Saturday, March 23 drawing, the actual day of her birthday, but they opted for the March 20 drawing instead. They played the same numbers they have been using since December.

The following day, the pair scanned their ticket and were shocked to see a “claim at lottery” notification pop up. Kelli thought they “won like $500 or something,” but she was even more shocked when she checked their numbers and realized she had matched five out of the six winning numbers and the bonus number to win the $25,000 prize.

Kelli told lottery officials this is a “life-changing” amount of money, and she intends to buy a much-needed new vehicle and pay some bills. She said:

This is a big happy birthday. The timing could not have been better.

Big Powerball winner also

In addition to the wins above, the Arkansas Lottery announced a lucky Powerball ticket was sold at Tobacco Superstore #85, located at 1100 E. Main St. in Magnolia. The lucky ticket won $100,000 on the March 25 drawing.

The winning white ball numbers for that drawing were 7, 11, 19, 53, 68, the Powerball number was 23, and the Power Play was X2. The winning ticket matched four of the white balls with the Powerball and a multiplier of two for the $100,000 win. The winner has 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize.

Enjoy playing the Arkansas Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.