LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — One lucky man from Little Rock recently won a $1 million Powerball lottery prize for the January 6 drawing and claimed it on February 2.
The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, purchased the winning ticket at Kroger 644 on 1900 N. Polk in Little Rock.
The Little Rock resident said he's an avid lottery player, sometimes buying two or three tickets per day from different retailers.
He didn't realize he owned a winning ticket until he called his girlfriend to check his numbers.
“I thought, ‘Oh! I won something!” he said.
The computer selected five out of six winning digits for him, missing only his lucky number: 13. He typically includes it when choosing his numbers.
“He would’ve gone the jackpot!” his girlfriend said.
The winner was not upset over the narrow miss though, celebrating his $1 million win in the claim center.
“Have you ever heard of Kool and the Gang? ‘There’s a party going on right here,’” he sang.
He has previously also won an occasional $200 prize from scratch-offs, making this his biggest win yet.
The winner hasn't shared the good news with anyone other than his girlfriend and doesn't plan to.
He hopes to buy a new home with his prize. The couple are dog enthusiasts, and their pets are not allowed in their current apartment.