Two Arkansans recently claimed top prizes on instant games at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center.

Ozone resident Barbara Warren recently won a $100,000 lottery prize by playing the $5 X50 Bonus instant game. She claimed her prize on Feb. 9.

The winning ticket was sold at Dodge Store #634 on 407 E. Main St. in Clarksville.

Barbara purchased the winning ticket on Feb. 8. while driving home from Fort Smith with her son. The pair stopped at the Dodge Store, affectionately termed “Dodge’s Dogs,” and while there, the woman asked her son to purchase ten $5 tickets.

“I had $30, and I gave him an extra $20 to buy the tickets,” Barbara shared with lottery officials.

The woman noted that she always buys ten tickets at a time, selecting the games that “jump out at [her].” She had previously won $20,000 with this strategy, which would prove successful once again when her son returned with the tickets.

Barbara began scratching off her tickets while in the car. The first two were “a couple of duds,” she recalled. The next, though, turned out to be the $100,000 winning ticket.

“It was hard not to scream,” the winner said.

Instead, she placed the winning ticket in her sun visor and resolved to keep the good news a secret until she could surprise her son.

The woman has only told her daughter thus far. With her winnings, she intends to complete some home improvement projects for her son, his girlfriend and their child, who live with her. Barbara also intends to continue playing lottery games.

There is one top prize remaining on the X50 Bonus instant game.

Another winner, Larry Stevens of Searcy, won a $50,000 lottery prize on a $20 $50,000 Blast instant game ticket. He claimed his prize on Feb. 12.

The winning ticket was sold at Exxon Food Mart #3 on 1720 W. Beebe-Capps Expressway in Searcy.

Larry, a daily lottery player, had stopped by one of his usual retailers to purchase two tickets for his favorite instant game: Black and Gold. However, when the clerk informed him that the game was no longer available, the Searcy resident selected two $50,000 Blast tickets instead.

He scanned his ticket while in the store and was notified that he should visit the claim center. Quickly, he realized that he had won the instant game’s $50,000 top prize.

“It was unreal,” the Searcy man said.

The winner first shared the news with his wife, who pointed out how lucky it was that his usual ticket was unavailable.

No stranger to winning big, Larry has won several $1,000 and $5,000 prizes on scratch-off tickets. Still, this win left him stunned.

“Can you believe that?” the winner asked lottery officials, whistling “$50,000.”

With his prize, the Arkansan intends to pay off his car. He noted that it is the last major payment he wants to complete prior to retirement, which he hopes to begin next month.

Following Larry’s win, ten top prizes remain for the $50,000 Blast instant game.

For more information about the lottery, 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 $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.

Ozone resident Barbara Warren claimed a $100,000 prize playing the X50 Bonus instant game.

Larry Stevens of Searcy won $50,000 playing the $50,000 Blast instant game.