Couple cashes $66.9M lottery prize after buying tickets since first date

(Gray News) - Officials with the Minnesota Lottery say the state’s latest lottery winners have a love story that is now worth millions.

The winning couple, who have chosen to remain anonymous, cashed in nearly a $70 million prize earlier this month.

The couple told lottery officials they went on their first date back in 1990 when they went out for pizza and purchased their first scratch tickets together.

Lottery representatives say “Ms. Lottery Winner” has been playing the same lottery numbers for several years since, while changing only select numbers a couple of times.

Luckily, she did have a ticket for the April 12 Mega Millions drawing and recognized the winning numbers instantly: 2-8-14-20-31, Mega Ball 17.

“Thank goodness! If I had seen those numbers and I didn’t have a ticket...” she is quoted by the Minnesota Lottery.

The couple selected the cash option with the winning ticket worth approximately $66.9 million before required tax withholdings, according to the Minnesota Lottery.

After a couple of hours of sleep and re-checking their ticket, the two did go to work, as usual, the next day.

But they quickly started planning their future plans and told lottery officials they would like to purchase a house, a car and travel.

Officials said this was Minnesota’s first Mega Millions jackpot winner since that state joined the game in 2010.

The winning ticket was purchased at Holiday Stationstores. The business earned a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

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