Connie M. of Faulkner County won $130,000 in the March 21 Natural State Jackpot drawing, according to an announcement from the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Mar. 26. She claimed her prize at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center on March 23 after matching all five winning numbers: 3, 7, 12, 16 and 20.
The win came as Connie was working on her taxes and decided to purchase a ticket through the Jackpocket mobile app. Upon receiving a notification from Jackpocket about her win, she checked her email and confirmed she had matched all five numbers required for the jackpot. “No way!” Connie said when describing her reaction.
Connie shared news of her win with a coworker and her sister and hopes that this prize will help her retire next year. “That’s a big relief,” she said.
In addition to Connie’s jackpot win, C. Foster of Pulaski County claimed $100,000 playing the instant game ’50X the Cash.’ Foster purchased the $5 ticket at Barrow Mart in Little Rock after stopping for gas post-work and scratched it off in her car. “Honestly, it was random,” Foster told lottery officials about buying the ticket. Upon realizing she had won one of two remaining top prizes for that game, Foster said: “I couldn’t believe it… I had to check first!” She has considered using some winnings toward purchasing a home.
Another winner announced was Matthew M., who resides in Mississippi County and won $50,000 playing Instant Million—a $20 instant game—after buying his ticket at Jordan’s Kwik Stop in Manila as part of his regular lottery routine. Matthew told lottery officials: “This ticket was just popping out to me… I just try to go with my gut feeling.” He plans to buy his mother a nicer car with part of his winnings as well as update flooring in his home.
According to information provided by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL), since its inception in 2009 it has sold over $8 billion worth of tickets and returned more than $1.6 billion for scholarships benefiting Arkansas students; more than 873,000 college scholarships have been awarded through these funds as of Feb. 28 this year.
