‘It’s life changing’: Louisville woman wins over $100k in Ky. lottery
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A Louisville woman’s nightly routine playing the Kentucky Lottery has finally paid off.
Laura Risen won over $117,000 playing the Kentucky Lottery’s online game, Merry Money Bonus, taking home the progressive jackpot amount on a 20-cent wager.
“It’s surreal,” Risen said. “It didn’t feel real, it’s a lot of money. It’s life-changing.”
She won the jackpot on December 8. She said she usually plays the lottery after putting her daughter to bed and has won here and there over the years.
“It still just doesn’t really feel real,” Risen said. “You just never have had that amount of money [come up].”
Risen told lottery officials she had to wake up her husband of 25 years, Robbie, to show him the win.
“I woke him up and he was like, ‘nuh-uh,’” Risen said. “I knew that he wouldn’t believe it. I hadn’t even cleared off the game yet, so it showed down at the bottom that I won the $117,000.”
The couple already has big plans for their winnings. They said they plan to use a portion of it to pay off living expenses, but will also use the winnings to pay for Christmas gifts for their children and grandchildren. A portion of the money will also be given to their church.
“It’s going to be spent on the right things because we’re not going out and blowing it,” Robbie said.
Laura and Robbie joked this would not be their last venture to Kentucky Lottery headquarters.
“I’ll probably be in here next week to claim that Mega Millions jackpot, too,” Robbie said.
The couple walked away with a check for $83,897.07 after taxes.
