National

Lottery player wins two $100 prizes — then ‘unusually lucky win streak’ gets bigger

An Arkansas lottery player was on an “unusually lucky win streak” when he scratched off a huge prize, lottery officials said.
An Arkansas lottery player was on an “unusually lucky win streak” when he scratched off a huge prize, lottery officials said. Arkansas Scholarship Lottery

A lottery player noticed a hefty prize on one Arkansas scratch-off game, so he bought himself a ticket. He won $100.

“Here’s what was weird about the whole deal,” the Missouri man told Arkansas lottery officials. The next day, Stephen Hawkins bought another ticket and won another $100.

Testing his “unusually lucky win streak” for a third time, Hawkins purchased yet another ticket thinking he wouldn’t win, the lottery said in a June 24 news release.

He was wrong — and it was his biggest prize yet. The Goodman, Missouri, player won the top prize of $300,000, officials said.

Shocked by the third and largest win, he called his wife.

“I don’t want you to freak out,” he told his wife over the phone. The two then made the trip to Little Rock to claim their prize on June 21.

The couple plans to use the prize to retire and pay bills, according to officials.

Goodman is about a 250-mile drive northwest of Little Rock.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published June 26, 2024 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Lottery player wins two $100 prizes — then ‘unusually lucky win streak’ gets bigger."

Kate Linderman
mcclatchy-newsroom
Kate Linderman covers national news for McClatchy’s real-time team. She reports on politics and crime and courts news in the Midwest. Kate is a 2023 graduate of DePaul University and is based in Chicago.
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