Columbus, Ohio – A Columbus resident is celebrating an extraordinary lottery win after placing three separate PICK 5 wagers that all paid off in the same drawing, earning him a combined prize of $76,251.
The lucky player purchased his tickets for the Wednesday, June 17, 2026, PICK 5 drawing using the numbers 3-2-3-7-8. According to the winner, the number combination was inspired by a special date in his life, March 23, 1978.
His decision to place multiple wagers using those numbers resulted in three different winning tickets.
The largest prize came from a $1 straight wager, which paid $50,000. A second ticket, a $0.50 wager with a 60 backup, earned an additional $25,417. He also collected another $834 from a separate $0.50 boxed bet.
Together, the three prizes totaled $76,251.
Winning numbers change one man’s future
After mandatory tax withholdings of 26.75 percent, the winner will take home $55,853.86.
The Columbus man admitted he had trouble believing what had happened after discovering his numbers had been drawn.
“The whole day I was confused.”
He also shared that he believes faith played an important role in the unexpected win.
According to the winner, he prayed to God before the drawing and feels there was divine intervention behind his good fortune.
Rather than spending the money on luxury purchases, he already has practical plans for his winnings. He said he intends to pay off outstanding bills and use part of the prize as a down payment on a home.
All three winning tickets were purchased at Winners Corner, located at 2036 Baltimore-Reynoldsburg Road in Reynoldsburg.
For this Columbus player, a meaningful date turned into a memorable payday and brought him one step closer to achieving his goal of homeownership.
