Losing lottery ticket makes single mom a millionaire - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

Losing lottery ticket makes single mom a millionaire

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HELENA-WEST HELENA, AR -

(WMC-TV) – A single Arkansas mother is now a brand new millionaire. How did it happen? She credits a second chance with a losing lottery ticket.

Frankie Williams says you cannot win if you don't play the lottery she recently learned that even if you lose, you can still come out a winner.

"I thought it was a joke. I really, really thought it was a joke," said the Mid-South's newest Millionaire.

Williams lives at a modest home in Forrest City and enjoys her privacy. But she forfeited that luxury when she came forward to claim her million dollar cash prize with the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

"It's been hard already, it's still too fresh, like today I have a lot of people calling just inquiring," she explained.

Williams raised her two sons as a single mother working as a manager with a medical group.

And after learning of her fortune, she went right back to work.

"When I left the lottery place, I came back to work that same day," she said.

Williams said it was her boyfriend who purchased the $20 scratch ticket in West Helena, Arkansas. She said it was a losing ticket but she decided to take her chances and play the Arkansas Second Chance lottery.

The 'Play It Again' program allows you to enter your losing ticket into an online drawing.

"At the end of each instant game we draw one winner and they are lucky enough to win the top prize in that game," said Kevin McCarthy, Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

For now, Williams does not plan to quit her job. Instead, she plans to pay off her mortgage and take her family on a vacation.

"I'm trying to stay level minded and make sure I have some left so when I get old enough to retire," she said. "I don't know yet, it's like I'm dreaming. I haven't quite waken up yet to say this is really real."

The lottery agency says the odds of winning the second chance drawing is much better than playing for a powerball prize. Williams says she has every intention of sharing the money with her boyfriend.

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