One lucky Arkansas lottery player believed his next big win was just around the corner—and he was right.

Rene L. of Fayetteville won $180,000 in the Feb. 25 Natural State Jackpot (NSJ) drawing. He claimed his prize at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) Claim Center on Feb. 27.

The winning Quick Pick ticket was sold at Shell Super Stop #109, 2001 N. Center St. in Elkins, and the winning numbers were 2, 15, 18, 27 and 32.

Rene was visiting his brother when he bought the winning ticket. A loyal NSJ player, the Fayetteville man felt that the in-state draw game offered better odds of winning. He had previously won $300 playing NSJ and felt like he was “due” for another win.

With high hopes of making his dreams a reality, Rene purchased 10 NSJ tickets for his brother and one for himself.

“You gotta play to win,” Rene told lottery officials.

The morning after the drawing, the player checked his numbers.

“Oh, I won $7,” Rene thought, still half-asleep.

The unsuspecting Fayetteville man went back to bed. It was only later that day that Rene realized he had won far more than $7—he had hit the $180,000 jackpot.

In both excitement and disbelief, the lucky winner woke up his brother.

“Hey, look at these numbers and see if I really won,” Rene said.

Rene’s brother checked the winning numbers online, and sure enough, the Fayetteville man had won $180,000. Still, the duo wanted further confirmation and decided to scan the ticket at the Shell Super Stop. The store clerk told Rene to head to Little Rock to collect his winnings, removing all his doubts about the prize.

Elated, Rene visited the ASL Claim Center, accompanied by his brother and nephew. He plans to buy a trailer with his winnings.

The jackpot for tonight’s NSJ drawing is $60,000.

NSJ tickets are available at licensed Arkansas lottery retailers and through retailer apps from ASL’s Play on the Go partners. Visit the Where To Play page on the ASL website to learn more about the Play on the Go options.

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

About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) creates winning people, winning futures, and winning moments. Since 2009, the ASL has sold over $7.8 billion and returned more than $1.4 billion for scholarships to benefit Arkansas students. More than 770,000 college scholarships distributed by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education have been awarded to Arkansans. The lottery has awarded more than $5 billion in prizes to players, more than $440 million in retailer commissions, and provided more than $182 million in state and federal tax revenue.

Follow the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Facebook, X, formerly known as 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.