Louisville woman scores $900K jackpot playing online Instant Play game

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB)— A Jefferson County woman is celebrating a life-changing win after hitting a jackpot worth more than $900,000 while playing an online game through the Kentucky Lottery.

The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, said she used $20 in Bonus Bucks from her online Fun Club account to try the Instant Play game "Bank Boost!" shortly after it launched.

"I told myself 'Okay, I’ll just wager a dollar on this one since it’s new,'" she said in a news release from the lottery Friday.

Moments later, she realized something big was happening.

"It started spinning, spinning and then that big square popped up," she said. "Then I saw the gray disk that said 'Jackpot' and I just watched the numbers climb. It took about a minute for it to stop spinning. It was a fun minute but a hot minute, too."

Still in disbelief, she checked her email — where online wins are confirmed — and then called the Kentucky Lottery to verify the prize. Officials confirmed she had won $900,392.68.

"I couldn’t believe it," she said. "This is life-changing."

The woman said she waited a few days before claiming her prize, ultimately taking home just over $650,000 after taxes.

She plans to use the money to pay off debts and secure her family’s financial future, with retirement still planned in about two years.

"I can breathe a little easier," she said.

The couple also has an anniversary trip planned, which she says will now be "a much nicer trip."

While she has regularly played online lottery games, she says she plans to take a short break after the big win.

"I’m not going to mess with my karma," she joked.

According to the Kentucky Lottery, more than $1.6 billion in prizes were paid out in 2025, with proceeds helping fund scholarships and grants for more than 1.1 million college students across the state.