HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, Ark. — Two sisters from Hot Springs Village have a bond so strong, they agreed to split a $500,000 lottery prize after purchasing a winning Powerball ticket.
Denise Horta and Tammy Lee recently claimed their prize at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center in Little Rock.
The winning Quick Pick ticket was sold at East Gate Food Mart located at 140 Laplaza W. in Hot Springs Village, for the May 10 drawing
“We live together, so I told Tammy to. pick me up a Powerball ticket since she was going to the store. She also purchased a Natural State Jackpot ticket,” Horta said. “That night, I was getting ready to shower and decided to check the tickets on the Arkansas lottery app.”
While the sisters did not win anything on Natural State Jackpot, Horta was stunned when she discovered they had a winning Powerball ticket.
The winning numbers were 21, 24, 33, 55, and 69, with the Powerball being 3. The Power Play multiplier was 10.
The siblings matched four white balls and the Powerball number, and since they purchased the Power Play for an additional $1, multiplied their $50,000 prize by 10.
“Denise and I double-checked the ticket together,” Lee said. “We were still unsure because we had never seen the 10X multiplier before, so we called our sister and brother-in-law in California to confirm our win. Our brother-in-law is a lottery expert.”
Horta said she would like to pay off her credit card and mortgage with her winnings, while Lee plans to pay bills and save to purchase a handicap-accessible van for her son.
“We always agreed that if either of us wins the lottery, we will split the winnings 50/50,” both said.
According to Eric Hagler, Arkansas Scholarship Lottery executive director, this was the first time the 10X has been drawn as a Power Play multiplier this year.
Retailers receive a 1% commission from the sales of winning lottery products, which means East Gate Food Mart will receive a $5,000 commission check.
The Powerball jackpot for tonight is $135 million. For more information, go to MyArkansasLottery.com.