Contents
A northern Kentucky family is a half-million dollars richer thanks to a scratch-off ticket. Certainly, an exciting family moment has been created for a father and his two sons after they cashed a $500,000 lottery scratch-off ticket.
William Hicks and his sons William Hicks Jr. and Stephen Hicks of California in Campbell County claimed a $500,000 Kentucky Lottery Scratch-off ticket last Friday – and for this Northern Kentucky family, winning the lottery is now a family affair.
Kentucky Lottery officials say William Hicks owns a business where his adult sons are employed, and the brothers often buy lottery tickets as they drive to work together.
The brothers, William Hicks Jr. and Stephen Hicks, each purchased a scratch-off ticket at a Speedway gas station in Alexandria on Friday, July 29. William Hicks Jr.’s ticket won the game’s $500,000 top prize.
“I’ll usually scratch one and he’ll (Stephen) scratch one,” William Jr. said. “Stephen suddenly tells me we’d won five hundred thousand dollars, but I figured he was looking at it wrong. We must have looked at it 40 times and I asked to be pinched a few times,” he said. The ticket matched the number 7, winning the game’s $500,000 top prize.
The best part was calling their father with the news.
“Dad, you’re not going to believe this. We’ve just won a half a million dollars,” William Jr. said.
“I was like, no way. He spent the next few minutes trying to convince me,” William said.
“William immediately started telling me who he was going to help out. That’s just the way he is,” his dad said.
The trio split the winnings — all receiving more than $118,000 after taxes.
Father and sons made the trip to the Kentucky Lottery headquarters in Louisville Friday afternoon. After taxes, they each received a check for $118,333.33.
Stephen told officials that he needed tires for his truck and the day before had bought just one because that was all he could afford.
They each have a plan for what they’re going to do with their money. William Jr. says he plans to pay off his mom’s mortgage and help his grandmother. As for the dad, he has been renting a farmhouse and is looking to buy the property; and Stephen Hicks intends to buy a new truck.
The Kentucky Lottery said the Speedway store would receive a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.