Lotto Player Wins Millions Twice in 4 Month

The life of 57 year-old Ernest Pullen of Bonne Terre, Missouri, has changed beyond recognition in the last four months - and in a good way.

In June, the Missouri lottery player bought a scratcher's ticket for the 100 Million Dollar Blockbuster game - the result: a $1 million jackpot and a brand new house for Ernest and his wife!

Then, unbelievably, on September 17, another scratchers ticket landed him not a 1 but a 2 million-dollar prize on Mega Monopoly. Both times he decided to take his prize in a one-time cash payment, giving him a bank balance that many of us can only dream of.

Strategy of Lucky Numbers

Ernest says he plays lotteries with large prizes, such as Mega Millions and Powerball. When quizzed about his lottery strategy, he simply described himself as a "lucky guy."

The newly-made millionaire claims his wins were written in the stars: "About six years ago, I had a dream that I won a lot of money." About his most recent windfall, he said: "All the numbers I dreamed about, and all my lucky numbers, were on the card."

Did You Know?

All around the world, money raised by lotteries is used to give something back to society. For example, the Missouri lottery's A+ School Program gets 97% of its funding from lottery ticket sales. The program awards financial help to dedicated and hard-working high school students with the aim of keeping them in school and preparing them for successful careers as contributing citizens.

So wherever you buy your Mega Millions or Powerball tickets, check out where you money really goes. Wouldn't it be nice to know that when you play, someone wins, no matter what?