Man tracked old lottery wins and used ‘top-secret’ formula to win huge prize
An Ohio man said he had a specific method that led to him winning a huge lottery jackpot.
The Ironton man bought a $30 Royal Riches scratch-off ticket from a store in Columbus, according to an Oct. 28 news release from the Ohio Lottery.
After scratching the ticket, “he couldn’t believe his eyes.” He even got a magnifying glass and sent a picture to a family member to make sure he was seeing his prize correctly.
“Oh my God, is this real?” he said, according to lottery officials.
The man won the game’s top prize of $80,000 a year for 25 years.
Although he has won smaller prizes in the past, he said he never thought he would win something this big. But, using a “top-secret family formula for picking his numbers based on notes tracking previous wins” helped lead him to the huge win, lottery officials said.
The man chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum and will get $728,750 after taxes.
He said he plans to give some money to family and to his church, as well as buy a new vehicle.
The game has four top prizes remaining and 10 second-tier prizes remaining as of Oct. 28.
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Man tracked old lottery wins and used ‘top-secret’ formula to win huge prize."
