Man Races Home to Tell Wife He Won $551K Lottery Prize, Then She Makes Them Go Back to the Store: ‘I’ve Got to See It for Myself’

NEED TO KNOW

• James Milby won six-figures after taking his grandson’s advice

• After winning, the man raced home to share the good news with his wife, although she didn’t believe him at first

• “I just want to improve my family’s life. And whatever the good Lord puts on my heart to do, I’ll do,” the winner told lottery officials

A lottery player’s quick stop at a store turned out to be more memorable than he could’ve ever imagined, but his wife didn’t believe him at first.

James Milby, from Glasgow, was working in the yard with his wife Tammy when he decided to go to the store to buy a Red Bull, according to a Saturday, March 21 news release by the Kentucky Lottery.

Speaking with lottery officials, the truck driver said that after years of buying scratch-off tickets, he switched to the Fast Play game several months ago thanks to something his grandson said.

“My grandson was watching me and he told me, ‘Papaw, it’s just like a Scratch-off, only you don’t scratch!’ ” he said. “So, I started trying them instead of Scratch-offs. I’d been watching that game and figured it was bound to be hit some time or another.”

With $30 in his pocket, the man bought a $20 ticket and ended up winning a $551,151 prize.

“I scanned it and thought, ‘What in the world, something ain’t right,’ ” he recalled. “I hollered for my buddy who works at the store, and he said, ‘I knew it! Your time was coming!’ ”

Afterwards he went straight home to tell his wife, although by the way he was acting, she initially assumed he had bad news to tell her.

“He was just a shaking,” she told lottery officials. “Then he kept saying, ‘No, it’s good! It’s good!’ ”

Not taking his word for it, Tammy told lottery officials she “made him take me back to the store.”

“I’ve got to see it for myself,” she said.

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After taxes, lottery officials said the couple walked away with just under $400,000 — and one of their first acts of business after claiming the prize was to tell their kids about their good fortune.

“It’ll be fun to finally tell them,” Tammy said.

“I just want to improve my family’s life. And whatever the good Lord puts on my heart to do, I’ll do,” added James.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.

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