Minnesota Lottery Winner Shares First Plans for $3 Million Jackpot

If I were lucky enough to win a massive lottery jackpot, I believe my initial reaction would be a mixture of shock and disbelief. I'd need some time to wrap my head around the situation and come up with a responsible plan for handling the money. I would prioritize paying off debts, investing for the future, upgrading my house, and traveling.

There have been several big jackpot winners in Minnesota recently, and one has already come forward and knows the first thing she will do with her riches.

Lotto America is a multi-state game offered in 13 states. Drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 9:20 p.m.Tickets cost $1 and jackpots start at $2 million.

Minnesota just had back-to-back Lotto America jackpot wins, with the first ticket worth $3.7 million and the second worth $3.1 million. One of those winning tickets was purchased for the April 24 drawing by a Minnesota mom who used family birthdates to pick her numbers.

She remained anonymous but shared her story, including what she'll do first with Minnesota Lottery officials. The lucky winner credited her Mom for using family birthdays because the two had recently discussed that strategy on a video call.

The jackpot winner got emotional when talking about the call with her mom and the discussion about lottery tickets and wanted to remind everyone to “Always listen to your mom!”

She said she was stunned when the ticket matched all six numbers.

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“I couldn’t believe it — I’ve never seen so many zeros before!” When her husband arrived home that day, he said he thought something bad happened because she was crying so hard."

Her immediate plans include buying a plane ticket to visit her mother in Southeast Asia, whom she hasn't seen in over a decade.