INDIANAPOLIS (April 29, 2024) — Today, the Hoosier Lottery celebrated a historic win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when the winner of the second-largest jackpot in Hoosier Lotto® history publicly claimed the $44 million prize during a news conference just blocks away from where the ticket was purchased.
The winning ticket was sold at Lucky’s Mart, LLC, located at 5208 W. 10th St. in the town of Speedway. Celebrating the win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is known for crowning winners each May, was especially fitting.
“We love when Hoosiers play our game, and we love when Hoosiers win,” said Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah M. Taylor. “It is great to see Indiana’s hometown favorite jackpot game won in the same beloved town known for producing exciting racing wins for the last century.”
Before the $44 million Hoosier Lotto jackpot reached the checkered flag on Dec. 6, 2023, the jackpot was in the pole position as the highest state lottery jackpot, and third-largest U.S. jackpot behind only Powerball® and Mega Millions®.
The winner, a long-time resident of the west-side of Indianapolis who has been playing the Hoosier Lottery for more than 30 years, claimed the prize as Lucky 22 Enterprises, LLC.
Because 44 is one of the winner’s favorite numbers, when the Hoosier Lotto jackpot reached $44 million, the winner decided to buy $44 worth of tickets. Of those 22 tickets, the claimant purchased eight Quick Picks and chose the numbers for the other 14 tickets. The winner had jotted down all the numbers they wanted to select on a piece of paper and sat in the parking lot filling out the lottery playslips. The very last one they completed was the winning ticket.
Hoosier Lottery Awards Historic $44 Million Hoosier Lotto® jackpot at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Photo by The Hoosier Lottery.
The day after the drawing, the winner discovered that the Hoosier Lotto jackpot had been hit. When the winner got home that evening, they checked their Hoosier Lotto tickets right away. The winner put a piece of paper over each ticket and revealed the numbers one at a time. A few times in the past the winner matched three numbers, and years ago matched five numbers. This time, though, when the winner matched all six numbers, they looked up to see if a hidden camera was watching! The winner couldn’t believe their eyes! The winner then checked the ticket multiple times, thinking it must be a joke.
The winner accepted a lump sum cash payout option of $21,195,213.55. The winner plans to take early retirement, eventually start a business, spend time traveling, and focus on opportunities they have not had time to do before. The winner will likely move in the near future, planning to remain in the area to stay near family and friends. They are working with financial and legal advisers to make some conservative investments with the money.
The winner is a huge racing fan and tries to attend every Indy 500. The winner usually attends with a group of relatives as a family tradition, going to practices, qualifications, and Carb Day events together. A favorite memory for the winner is going to the Indy 500 with their dad when the winner was just 3 years old. They hope to attend future races at IMS and other tracks around the country.
By selling the winning Hoosier Lotto jackpot ticket, the retailer will receive $100,000.
The largest Hoosier Lotto jackpot win occurred on November 7, 2007, and was worth an estimated $54.5 million.
Hoosier Lotto® Overall Odds 1 in 6
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ABOUT THE HOOSIER LOTTERY: For over 30 years, Hoosier Lottery distributions have benefited every county throughout Indiana. The Hoosier Lottery has contributed more than $7 billion to good causes, including $30 million to local police and firefighters’ pensions and $30 million to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund annually. The Hoosier Lottery has earned World Lottery Association Level 4 Certification through 2024 for achieving the highest level of responsible gaming. To learn more about the Hoosier Lottery, visit HoosierLottery.com/GivingBack and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Indianapolis Motor Speedway: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the world’s largest spectator sporting facility, has been the worldwide leader in motorsports entertainment since opening in 1909. IMS will host the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge – the world’s most prestigious auto race – on Sunday, May 26, 2024. That race is the climax of an exciting Month of May schedule for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES that also includes the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 11 on the IMS road course. NASCAR returns to the famous 2.5-mile oval during Brickyard Weekend on July 19-21, featuring the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG for the NASCAR Cup Series and Pennzoil 250 presented by Advance Auto Parts for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship also returns to IMS on Sept. 20-22 for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. Other events in 2024 at IMS will feature the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series, Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli and Sportscar Vintage Racing Association. IMS, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit ims.com.
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