Chris Folks of Fort Smith claimed a $500,000 prize today at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center. He won on the $20 200X The Money.

Folks, who is married with two children, plans to buy a house with his winnings.

He bought the ticket yesterday at the E-Z Mart, 8401 Highway 271 South in Fort Smith. He scratched the ticket at the store and saw that he was a winner but wasn’t convinced he had really won half a million dollars until he claimed his prize.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Folks said.

The E-Z Mart will receive a $5,000 commission for selling the winning ticket.

Folks said he plays scratch-off tickets frequently and also likes the Natural State Jackpot and LOTTO games because they are only sold in Arkansas.

The LOTTO jackpot for Saturday night’s drawing is up to a whopping $902,000. The Natural State Jackpot for tonight’s drawing is $160,000.

The 2023 Edition of the $50 or $100! Instant ticket launched yesterday and is now available at all 1,968 retailers across the state.

During the holiday season, players are encouraged to gift responsibly and not purchase lottery games for people under the age of 18. 

About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery

More than 92 cents of every dollar of ASL revenue goes to prizes, scholarships, retailer commissions and other expenses in Arkansas. Since 2009, the lottery has raised more than $1.2 billion in proceeds for scholarships. More than 675,000 college scholarships have been awarded to Arkansans. The lottery has awarded more than $4 billion in prizes to players, about $366 million in retailer commissions and provided more than $159 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.