News writer
It was a historic win in the Hoosier Lottery, and Lottery officials decided to go big by holding the presentation of the check at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Second-largest jackpot in Hoosier Lotto history
On December 6, 2023, the Hoosier Lotto jackpot reached $44 million. At the time, it was the highest state lottery jackpot and third-largest U.S. jackpot behind only Powerball and Mega Millions.
This was the second-largest Hoosier Lotto jackpot ever. The largest jackpot win took place on November 7, 2007, and was worth an estimated $54.5 million.
The winning numbers for that drawing were 1, 21, 29, 31, 32, and 43. The winner, who is a long-time resident of Indianapolis and has been playing the Hoosier Lottery for more than 30 years, claimed the prize as Lucky 22 Enterprises, LLC.
The winning ticket was purchased at Lucky's Mart, LLC, located at 5208 W. 10th St. in Speedway, which is just blocks away from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For selling the winning ticket, Lucky's Mart will receive $100,000.
Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah M. Taylor said:
“We love when Hoosiers play our game, and we love when Hoosiers win. It is great to see Indiana's hometown favorite jackpot game won in the same beloved town known for producing exciting racing wins for the last century.”
Favorite number helped the winner
One of the lucky winner's favorite numbers happens to be 44. So, when the Hoosier Lotto jackpot reached $44 million, she decided to buy $44 worth of tickets. Of the 22 tickets the winner purchased, they purchased eight Quick Picks and then chose the numbers for the other 14 tickets.
The winner had a system, too, as they jotted down all the numbers they wanted to select on a piece of paper. Then, they sat in the parking lot and filled out the lottery playslips. It just so happened to be the final playslip they filled out that turned out to be the winner!
After the drawing took place, the winner learned that someone hit the jackpot. When they got home that evening, they checked their Hoosier Lotto tickets right away. The winner put a piece of paper over each ticket and revealed the numbers one at a time.
The winner said they had matched three numbers in the past, and years ago, they matched five numbers. However, this time, they matched all six numbers, and they thought they might be being pranked. They couldn't believe their eyes and had to check the ticket multiple times.
Big plans after the big win
After winning the $44 million, the winner chose the lump sum payment option and received $21.2 million. Now that they have the money, they plan on taking an early retirement, eventually starting a business, traveling, and focusing on opportunities they haven't had the time to do before. The winner is working with financial and legal advisers and will be making some conservative investments with the money.
The winner is a huge racing fan, having gone to the Indy 500 with their dad when they were just 3 years old. Now, the winner is hoping to attend future races at IMS and other tracks around the country.
Enjoy playing the Hoosier Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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