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9 Year Losing Streak Snapped with $400,000 Lottery Win

9/20/2011 10:09:50 AM

COLUMBIA, SC (September 20, 2011) – For nine years running, a Spartanburg man has played the same five lottery numbers. His loyalty was rewarded Wednesday evening with a $400,000 payday.

He won the prize in the Lottery’s Palmetto Cash 5 game.

The winner told lottery officials he has clocked into work with the numbers 6, 13, 16, 31, and 36 a lot longer than he has played them in the Lottery. Two years away from retirement, he was relieved to see his persistence had paid off.

He was sitting with his wife at home when he saw the results come in.

“I took a deep breath,” he said after his numbers were pulled. “Then I started freaking out.”

Loyal to his numbers and the Power-Up multiplier option, he was tickled to see his $100,000 winnings multiplied by “4” to $400,000.

“We are money conscious and that’s not going to change,” said the winner’s wife. “It will be nice to know if we need a little something, we won’t have to worry.”

The winner has decided he needs a truck.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 501,942.

Publix Super Markets #687 in Spartanburg received a commission of $4,000 for selling the claimed ticket.

Since the start of the Lottery in 2002, more than 920,000 college scholarships and grants have been awarded to South Carolina’s students. In all, more than $2.5 BILLION has been transferred to support educational programs in the Palmetto State.

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