Kentucky man able to surprise his mother because this time, he really did win big

A resident of Philpot in Daviess County lucked out in his $5 Corner Cash Crossword scratch-off game when he bought his usual payday ticket July 12.

Ethan Henton bought his ticket at QQ Food Mart on Highway 54 in Owensboro and told Kentucky Lottery officials he buys a $5 ticket every payday.

His Corner Cash Crossword ticket showed 10 complete words when he scratched it off at home later that night, according to a Friday release from the lottery.

“When I scratched it off, I didn’t believe it,” Henton told the Kentucky Lottery. “I scanned it with my phone, and it showed it was a winner. I tell people, ‘I don’t play to win, I play to lose. If I win, that’s just a plus’…but yeah, it happened.”

Henton won $50,000 and couldn’t wait to share the news. He called his parents around midnight to wake them up and tell them: “I just won the lottery!”

His mother doubted his win at first.

“She said, ‘You said that once, you thought you did,’” Henton told the Kentucky Lottery. “No, I for real won this time. She didn’t believe me either!”

Henton called his grandparents next and said they were “ecstatic” to hear about his win.

He and his son went to the Kentucky Lottery headquarters in Louisville Monday to pick up the $36,000 post-tax check.

The lucky player said he plans to use some of his winnings to add excursions to a vacation in Florida this summer.

“This is pretty wild,” Henton told the Kentucky Lottery.

QQ Food Mart will receive $500 for selling the winning ticket, the release continued.

The overall odds of winning anything in the Corner Cash Crossword game are 1 in 3.41, according to the Kentucky Lottery.

Here are the game’s remaining prizes as of Thursday:

• Two $50,000 prizes

• 127 $500 prizes

• 256 $200 prizes

• 669 $100 prizes

• 939 $75 prizes

• 4,666 $50 prizes

• 3,984 $30 prizes

• 16,286 $20 prizes

• 16,159 $15 prizes

• 114,467 $10 prizes

• 86,489 $5 prizes

Henton wasn’t the only Kentucky resident to win big recently. An anonymous Louisville man won $150,000 in the Powerball July 8.

If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.

Do you have a question about the Kentucky Lottery for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.