DUMAS, Ark. (KFSM) — A Dumas woman is the state’s newest Lottery-made millionaire after claiming her winning prize today.
Linder Mathis’ husband purchased a Quick Pick Mega Millions ticket for his wife at the Super Stop on Harding Ave. in Pine Bluff for the Jan. 29 drawing.
Mathis said that she wasn’t aware she had won until her husband visited the Super Stop to purchase some items a few days ago.
After Arkansas Scholarship Lottery released information that the ticket was purchased at the location, the owner checked the video surveillance and suspected Mathis had purchased the winning ticket.
“My husband didn’t believe the owner when he told him that we were winners, because we don’t play the lottery often. We checked our numbers and discovered that he (the owner) was actually telling the truth,” she said. “I was at the hospital with my daughter, who had just given birth to her first child and our fourth grandchild, when my husband called me crying and said we had won $2 million.”
Mathis had all five white ball numbers for a $1 million prize – and only lacked having the Megaball number or she would have won the $109 million jackpot. However, because her husband paid an additional dollar for the Megaplier, which was two for the night’s drawing, the prize was increased to $2 million.
The Pine Bluff Super Stop will receive $20,000 in commission for selling the winning ticket. Retailers receive a 1 percent commission from the sales of winning lottery products
Mathis plans to pay bills, help her children and go on a family vacation with her winnings.
The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday’s drawing now stands at $157 million. The Powerball jackpot for tonight’s drawing is $204 million. Winning lottery numbers are posted at MyArkansasLottery.com.
More than 92 cents of every dollar of Lottery revenue goes to prizes, scholarships, retailer commissions and other expenses in Arkansas. Since 2009, the Lottery has provided more than $781 million for more than 302,000 college scholarships, more than $2.7 billion in prizes to players, about $235 million in retailer commissions and more than $120 million state and federal tax revenue.
