LINCOLN — Martin Denson of Kearney has won $78,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5 from the Nebraska Lottery.
Denson purchased his winning ticket at Pump & Pantry #41 at 1212 E. 56th St. in Kearney. The winning ticket contained a quick pick play with the winning numbers 13, 16, 29, 32 and 37 from the July 29 drawing.
When he claimed his check on Monday, Denson said he plays Pick 5 every day. When he saw his numbers had come up, he could barely believe it.
“I was pretty excited,” he said. “I had to check like 10 times.”
Denson said he’s planning to pay some bills and maybe make a down payment on a car.
In the Nebraska Pick 5 lottery game, all the proceeds stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $4,000 each drawing that is not won, are 1 in 501,942 while the overall odds of winning a prize in the game, which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 8.