Kansas City, Kan. Couple Claims $9.43 Million Hot Lotto Jackpot

A couple in their 40s from Kansas City, Kansas, say they both like their jobs and will continue to work, even though they are the winners of a $9.43 million Hot Lotto jackpot.

The winners, who asked the Lottery not to disclose their identities, claimed the prize today at Lottery headquarters, after matching all numbers in the January 12 drawing. The lucky numbers were 13-15-21-34-35 Hot Ball 4.

"We got home from church yesterday and my husband checked our Hot Lotto ticket on the Lottery's website," the wife said. "When he told me we had hit the jackpot, I was quiet for a moment and then I cried.  God knows, things have not been easy for us lately financially." 

The amount of the jackpot - $9.43 million - was especially significant.  In recent months, the husband had twice won several hundred dollars playing the numbers 9-4-3 on Pick 3, both in Kansas and in Missouri!

"One of my children gave me those numbers to play," he said.

The winners have three children, but had not yet told them about the jackpot win when they claimed the ticket. 

"We wanted to make sure it was real first!"

The couple elected to take the cash option, which was worth $7,154,940.  After 25% is taken for federal taxes, $1,788,735; and 5% for state taxes, $357,747; the winners will receive a payment of $5,008,458. They plan to use the money to help family members and for their children's education.

"Our children are really good students, and we're very proud of them. They'll be able to go to college anywhere they want now."

The winners purchased their lucky ticket at QuikTrip 239R, located at 555 N. 78^th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. For selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the store receives a $2,500 selling bonus.

The Kansas Lottery's new executive director was especially eager to meet the jackpot winners today. Dennis Taylor's first day on the job as Kansas Lottery Executive Director was January 11. The very next day, Kansas captured the Hot Lotto jackpot.

"Talk about a great way to begin a new job - making this nice couple multimillionaires," said Taylor.

This is the fifth Hot Lotto jackpot hit in Kansas since Kansas joined the game in 2006.

This is also the third time in less than a year that a Kansas ticket has won a multimillion dollar jackpot in a multistate game!  In March 2012, a Franklin County resident won $218.6 million playing Mega Millions; and in December 2012, a Johnson County resident claimed a $50 million Powerball jackpot.

Hot Lotto is played in 15 lottery jurisdictions - District of Columbia, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia.

The Hot Lotto jackpot returns to an estimated $1 million (annuity) for Wednesday's drawing.