Conway resident James E. won $25,000 in the March 2 LOTTO drawing. He claimed his prize in the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center on March 5.

The winning ticket was sold at Dave Ward Drive Satterfield, 1655 Dave Ward Drive in Conway. The winning numbers were 2, 4, 9, 14, 16 and 18, with the bonus number being 33.

James purchased the winning LOTTO ticket as a gift for his wife, whose birthday fell on the same date as the Saturday, March 2 drawing.

“It was my birthday, and I wanted a ticket. A winning ticket!” James’ wife laughed.

The couple went out for dinner on Feb. 29 and decided to buy a lottery ticket on the way home. They typically prefer in-state games like LOTTO and the Natural State Jackpot, believing they have a better chance of winning, and this purchase was no exception. The couple selected a Quick Pick LOTTO ticket, allowing the computer to choose their numbers.

Due to unstable internet, James was unaware of the win until Monday evening, when his wife used her phone to check the winning numbers. Shocked, the pair discovered they had matched five of the six winning digits.

“I looked at [the ticket] about three times,” she laughed. “I kept saying, ‘Where’s the fourteen? I need the fourteen!”

James didn’t believe the good news until she demanded he check the numbers himself.

Though they did not land the jackpot, James and his wife are excited about the $25,000 win. They will be puppy-sitting for their grandchildren this summer and hope to use their winnings on a new fence.

“Can’t let that little new grand-fur-baby get out!” his wife said.

The pair also intends to keep playing lottery games. Having already purchased new tickets for the next LOTTO drawing, their sights are set on the jackpot.

The LOTTO jackpot continues to rise. For tonight’s drawing, its prize hits $1.19 million, its second-highest jackpot since the game’s launch.

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

About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery creates winning people, winning futures, and winning moments. Since 2009, the ASL has sold over $7.2 billion and returned more than $1.3 billion for scholarships to benefit Arkansas students. 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 $406 million in retailer commissions, and provided more than $175 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 get help with problem gambling, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.