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These 11 lottery players tested their luck — and won big prizes. Take a look

Stories by Real-Time News journalists, with AI summarization

Whether sparked by a gut instinct, like a $5 impulse buy in a local market, or habitual actions such as grabbing coffee, these lottery players tested their luck and won big.

Take a look at the stories.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

A woman from Edmonds, Washington, won a big prize from a Scratch game. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 1: PRESCHOOL TEACHER STOPS FOR COFFEE AND A LOTTERY TICKET — THEN WINS BIG IN WASHINGTON

She spent $10 on the game. | Published May 31, 2024 | Read Full Story by Helena Wegner

When a Maryland woman had a “random urge,” she listened to it — and it paid off. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 2: ‘RANDOM URGE’ AND $5 LEAD TO BIG MARYLAND LOTTERY WIN. ‘FILLED WITH EXCITEMENT’

The woman told lottery officials the win left her “shocked” and “happy.” | Published June 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Daniella Segura

A lottery player used the same numbers for months and ended up winning, Maryland officials said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 3: LOTTERY PLAYER WON $100,000 OVER A DECADE AGO. HE ‘COULD NOT BELIEVE’ HE WON AGAIN

“I’ve been playing that combination for months now. Something about it just felt right,” the Maryland winner said. | Published June 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez

A Michigan man had no idea he was the topic of discussion when he walked into a Clinton Township store. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 4: LOTTERY PLAYER OVERHEARS SHOPPERS SAY SOMEONE WON BIG PRIZE — THEN HE LEARNS IT’S HIM

The Michigan man said he “made a last-minute decision” to buy the ticket. | Published June 27, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jennifer Rodriguez

A Powerball player in Georgia won a sizable prize in the lottery game’s July 13 drawing, officials said. Jerry Habraken USA TODAY NETWORK

NO. 5: POWERBALL PLAYER JUST MISSES $55 MILLION JACKPOT — BUT STILL WINS BIG IN GEORGIA

Check your numbers! | Published July 15, 2024 | Read Full Story by Tanasia Kenney

An Arkansas man says he can now pay off his home after winning the lottery. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 6: MOM JUMPS OUT OF BED WHEN SON SHARES HIS ARKANSAS LOTTERY NEWS. ‘ARE YOU LYING?’

The man said he can now pay off his house with the winnings. | Published July 23, 2024 | Read Full Story by Kate Linderman

The woman, a bingo fan, won the top prize of a bingo-themed scratch-off ticket, Maryland lottery officials said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 7: MOM, SON REVIEW BIG LOTTERY WIN, BUT DON’T BELIEVE THEIR EYES. ‘WE BOTH DON’T SEE WELL’

The Maryland woman thought she won $500 on the scratch-off ticket before her son had it scanned to confirm the win, lottery officials said. | Published July 26, 2024 | Read Full Story by Lauren Liebhaber

A North Carolina man has big plans after winning a life-changing jackpot, lottery officials said. Getty Images

NO. 8: ‘DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?’ LOTTERY PLAYER CAN’T BELIEVE HUGE NORTH CAROLINA JACKPOT PRIZE

The Raleigh man already has big plans for his winnings. | Published September 3, 2024 | Read Full Story by Tanasia Kenney

A lottery player liked how a ticket looked, and it paid off big time. Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash

NO. 9: LOTTERY TICKET STOOD OUT TO NC MAN — THEN HE HIT THE JACKPOT. ‘IT JUST CAUGHT MY EYE’

The prize winner couldn’t believe his luck. | Published February 16, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

A Michigan man heartbroken by the Detroit Lions’ playoff loss bought a winning lottery ticket that same day. Photo by Alexander Grey via Unsplash

NO. 10: FOOTBALL FAN UPSET OVER TEAM’S LOSS — THEN LOTTERY WIN TAKES ‘SOME OF THE STING AWAY’

“It still doesn’t feel real that I won,” said the winner in Michigan. | Published February 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Rhiannon Saegert

Barry Spellman, pictured with his wife Janet, won a huge lottery prize in North Carolina. N.C. Education Lottery

NO. 11: LOTTERY PLAYER BUYS TICKET DURING MORNING ROUTINE. THE HUGE PRIZE LEFT HIM ‘SHAKING’

“I kind of freaked out,” the North Carolina winner said. | Published March 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.