‘Stubborn’ man finally wins millions after playing same lottery numbers for 22 years

Consistency finally paid off for one Ohio Lottery player who landed a $3.5 million Classic Lotto jackpot after playing the same set of numbers for 22 years.

The man, who chose to stay anonymous, won in the February 4 drawing and told lottery officials he kept buying tickets despite two decades of mostly small wins because he is “stubborn,” according to a news release from Ohio Lottery.

Even after becoming a snowbird and spending part of each year in warmer weather, the winner never broke his routine. He budgeted about $10 a month for tickets and leaned on his best friend to keep the streak alive when he was out of town.

If he couldn’t buy tickets himself, his friend made the purchases so he wouldn’t miss a drawing. The winning ticket was sold at gas station MAPCO #1929, formerly a Circle K, located at 997 Brown Street in Akron.

When the winning numbers were announced, the longtime player recognized the combination instantly – 6-8-16-20-26-45 – even though he did not have the ticket with him.

After memorizing the numbers over 22 years of playing, he realized almost immediately that he had finally hit the jackpot. Overwhelmed, he shouted the news to his wife and celebrated by keeping a long-running promise.

“We’re going to get a really big pool!” he recalled saying.

Still without the ticket in hand, the winner quickly made travel plans, flew back to his home in Ohio, where the winning ticket was waiting for him.

The winner opted for the cash payout of $1.7 million. After mandatory state and federal taxes, he will take home $1,281,875. He said he officially retired following the win and plans to buy a house, build a home gym and follow through on his promise to add a big pool for his wife.

The Independent has asked Ohio Lottery whether the man’s longtime friend will receive any share of the jackpot.

The odds of matching all six numbers to win the Classic Lotto jackpot are 1 in 13,983,816, according to the Ohio Lottery. Drawings are held at 7:05 p.m., with the jackpot starting at $1 million and increasing by at least $100,000 each time there is no winner.