A lotto fan who has played the same family birthday numbers every week had told how her luck finally struck after more than 20 years.
Astonished Tamara Laughinghouse, from Mooresville, in the US state of North Carolina, scooped USD 200,000 (GBP 157,000) during a family trip at her parents’ home in Wyoming.
When she asked her dad to read out the winning numbers for the Powerball game draw she knew instantly she was a winner.
She said in a statement for the Multi-State Lottery Association on 4th August obtained by Newsflash: “I’ve been playing those same numbers for over 20 years. They are the different birthdays in my family.”
Tamara added: “I didn’t know how much I won so my husband got online and said, ‘I think you won USD 200,000.’
“We all got excited and gave each other hugs.”
Tamara took home USD 142,501 (GBP 111,884) after taxes.
Now she plans a holiday in Italy and will give some of the cash to create scholarships at her old high school.
Lottery officials said: “Laughinghouse bought her lucky USD 3 Power Play ticket from the Food Lion on Brawley School Road in Mooresville.
“She matched the numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win USD 50,000 in the July 17 drawing. Her prize quadrupled to USD 200,000 when the 4X multiplier hit.”
