A Natural State Jackpot ticket worth $130,000 was sold at J-Mart, 3627 Midland Blvd. in Fort Smith, for the Jan. 31 drawing. The winning numbers were 1, 11, 14, 15 and 39. The winner has until 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize.

Paul Price Jr., a Hot Springs resident, won a $25,000 lottery prize in the Jan. 27 LOTTO drawing. He and his wife claimed the prize at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center on Feb. 2.

The winning ticket was sold at East Gate Food Mart on 140 Laplaza W. in Hot Springs Village, and the winning numbers were 1, 5, 19, 34, 36 and 38 with Bonus Number 15. Paul won by matching five of the six numbers drawn plus the Bonus Number. 

He purchased the ticket during a routine trip to the store. However, he discovered his win sometime later when a broken traffic light sent him and his wife on a detour from Walmart to another convenience store.

There, the Hot Springs resident asked his wife to go inside and scan the ticket.

“The lady behind the counter said, ‘You are a winner, but we can’t cash that here,’” the couple shared with lottery officials.

Though they were still determining the exact amount, the prize was large enough to warrant a trip to the claim center. Shocked, his wife signed the ticket, hid it in her shirt and left the store quickly.

The couple checked the numbers online and saw they had won a $25,000 prize.

“I said, ‘Thank you, Heavenly Father,’” Paul said.

Neither Paul nor his wife expected the win, even though they play lottery games like Powerball®, Mega Millions® and LOTTO every week. Paul noted that his family members win lottery games more frequently than he does.

Paul has not told anyone other than his wife about the win. However, he intends to tithe, pay off some credit cards and bring electricity to the family boat dock. He and his wife will also continue playing the lottery—particularly LOTTO, as the Arkansas-only game gives them a better chance of winning.

Because no one has won the top prize, the LOTTO jackpot rises to $955,000 for Wednesday night’s drawing.

For more information on lottery games and how to play, visit MyArkansasLottery.com.

About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery creates winning people, winning futures, and winning moments. Since 2009, the lottery has raised more than $1.3 billion in proceeds for scholarships. More than 720,000 college scholarships have been awarded to Arkansans. The lottery has awarded more than $4.8 billion in prizes to players, more than $404 million in retailer commissions, and provided more than $173 million in state and federal tax revenue.

Follow the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit MyArkansasLottery.com for more information on scholarships, winners, games, odds, promotions – and to join The Club for free. To hear winning numbers, call the Winning Numbers Hotline at 501-682-IWON (4966). To get help with problem gambling, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.