A man who has hit the jackpot has revealed his secret to winning the lottery.
Michael Perry had no idea he was about to strike gold when he stopped at a petrol station to buy two $10 (£7.45) Wild Cash 100X scratch-off tickets.
The first one was a dud, but when he scratched off the second one, every spot matched – earning him the game’s top prize of $250,000 (£185,000).
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Michael believes the secret to his lotto success is simple: always buy two tickets at once.
“But when I scratched off the second ticket, I couldn’t believe my eyes – $250,000!,” he said.
“Anytime I buy them, I always buy two at a time.”
Michael, from Kentucky, US, said the first thing he thought about was paying off his house.
His wife, Felicia, was overjoyed when he called to tell her the news – saying the win would literally change everything for them.
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Michael added: “The first thing that crossed my mind was paying off my house.
“It’s an amazing feeling to know that I can do that now.
“We’re definitely going to celebrate, and I’m sure everyone will be happy for us.”
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The couple went straight to lottery headquarters that same afternoon, where Michael collected a check for $180,000 (£133,000) after taxes.
The petrol station, Verona Hop Shop, is set to receive $2,500 (£1,860) for selling the winning ticket.
Felicia said: “I was at work and I knew he [Michael] was on his way down to Louisville.
“He called me, so I answered, and he said, ‘Can you talk? You’re going to think I’m joking with you, but I promise I’m not.
“I just hit $250,000 on a ticket.
“Can you get off from work and go to the lottery office with me?’
“I cried a little bit when I saw the ticket.
“This is literally going to change everything for us.”
Michael is the first top prize winner on the Wild Cash 100X game, which went on sale on 26 June, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Two $250,000 top prizes and other smaller prizes remain, including $1,000 and 2,027 $500 prizes.
The Kentucky Lottery has paid out more than $1.6 billion in prizes in 2025, funding scholarships and grants for over a million college students across the state.
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