Avilla Man Defies The Odds To Win Nearly $5 Million Hoosier Lotto Jackpot
If Jeffrey Myers, a retired forklift driver, were to cash out his recent jackpot in small bills, he might need a forklift to transport it all. This recent Hoosier Lottery winner netted a nice payday last Saturday.
Myers, 63, matched all six numbers on his Hoosier Lotto ticket on Oct. 31. The odds of someone doing that again soon are astronomical.
Details of the recent Hoosier Lottery winner
Hoosier Lotto, one of the Indiana lottery‘s draw-style games, holds a drawing every Wednesday and Saturday night. Myers bought a ticket for the Oct. 31 drawing at Lassus Bros. Oil in Avilla.
The drawing usually happens around 11 p.m. ET, so Myers did not stay up to check the results of the drawing for the estimated $4.9 million jackpot right away. Myers details what happened the following morning.
“I was still half asleep (Sunday morning) when I pulled up the Hoosier Lottery website. I was looking at my first ticket and it did not make any sense, as all the numbers were matching. I looked again, and lo and behold, they were all matching! Then I needed to go for a walk because I still did not believe it. I thought I must be dreaming!”
Earlier this week, Myers traveled to the Hoosier Lottery office in downtown Indianapolis to claim his prize. He opted to take the lump sum, which came to around $3.7 million after taxes.
After claiming his prize, Myers said he went to White Castle with his brother. He plans to buy a boat and a cottage with the money.
Myers is the second Hoosier Lotto jackpot winner from the northeast region of Indiana this year.
Myers’ odds-defying draw
The Hoosier Lottery website lists the odds of matching all six numbers in the lotto game at 1 in 9,366,819. At just $2 a ticket, however, there are other prizes that make this game a decent investment.
Players have a 1 in 6.8 chance to match two of the six numbers. The prize in that instance is a free ticket, which is essentially the same as getting your money back. The rest of the odds, with the corresponding prizes, are as follows:
- 1:47 – matching three of six numbers. Players who match three out of six numbers win $2 dollars.
- 1:800 – matching four of six numbers. At this level, players win $20, a 10X multiplier on the ticket cost.
- 1:39,028 – matching five of six numbers. For coming oh so close, the lottery will reward you with $500.
With the Hoosier Lottery app and website, preparing your play slip for Hoosier Lotto and other games is quite easy. However, iLottery sales are illegal in Indiana. You must complete the transaction at a physical lottery retailer.
Myers likely won’t regret stopping into Lassus Bros. Oil while he’s steering his new boat towards his new cottage.