Woman wins big Kentucky Lottery prize, then passes out gift cards to random strangers

A Kentucky woman’s big lottery prize also paid off for unsuspecting shoppers at a local grocery store.

“I’ve worked hard for everything I’ve had. This is a pretty amazing gift,” said Crystal Dunn, of Louisville, who won $146,351.74 playing the Kentucky Lottery’s Bank Buster Jackpot instant play game online

Lottery officials said Dunn on July 7 wagered $20 in the game seconds before her computer screen showed she had won the huge prize.

She said she didn’t believe it until lottery officials later confirmed her winnings the following day.

“It’s a pretty exciting feeling,” Dunn said, according to the Kentucky Lottery. “I never thought I would win something like this, but this goes to show it can happen.”

Dunn decided to pay it forward after receiving her winnings, which amounted to $103,909.73 after taxes. She said she went to a Meijer grocery store, where she purchased $2,000 in gift cards.

She passed out those gift cards to shoppers, some of whom thought Dunn wanted something in exchange.

But giving back is in Dunn’s nature, she told lottery officials.

“I got an unexpected gift and I believe in paying it forward and I wanted to pass it along,” she said.

Dunn also plans on purchasing a car and paying off bills with her winnings.

This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Woman wins big Kentucky Lottery prize, then passes out gift cards to random strangers."