A Time for Celebration - Wichita Resident Wins $100,000 Top
Prize Playing Kansas Lottery's First-Ever Game Book!
This week has been a time for celebration for the Villa family
of Wichita. Joel and Leticia Villa celebrated their 15th
wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day and today, they're
celebrating a $100,000 win! Joel, who purchased the Kansas
Lottery's new 25th Anniversary Game Book yesterday, won a $100,000
top prize playing Blackout Bingo!
"I work second shift at Cessna and decided to buy a lottery ticket
before work," explained Villa. "I hadn't tried the Game Book
before, so I thought I would give it a try."
The $20 Game Book offers players a chance to play nine of the most
popular puzzle games, all in one book! Villa won his $100,000
top prize by revealing all numbers on one of his Bingo games,
getting a "blackout."
"What's funny is, I played the Game Book backwards, starting with
the last game and working my way to the first game," said
Villa. "I ended up winning on the last ticket I scratched,
which was the first game in the book. When I realized how much
I had won, I was shocked. I had a coworker, who buys lottery
tickets all the time, take a look at it. When he confirmed it
appeared I had won, he suggested I sign the back of my winning
ticket. I was shaking so bad, my signature was barely
legible."
Villa's brother Jacob, who works with Joel at Cessna, also took a
look at the winning ticket to make sure it was a $100,000
winner.
"When I heard the news Joel had won, I thought everyone was
joking," said Jacob, who accompanied Joel to Lottery headquarters
in Topeka to claim the prize. "Joel was so shook up I had to
call Leticia to let her know he had won."
"Joel asked me to pick up the winning ticket during his lunch
break and put it in our safe at home," said Leticia. "When I
got there, he had stapled the ticket inside a plastic
bag. Since the ticket was stapled in the bag, I didn't even
get a chance to look at it until we claimed our prize."
"When we arrived at the Lottery, I was hoping there was a red
convertible waiting for me in the parking lot since I won such a
big prize," joked Villa. "I guess now I can buy one of my
own."
The Villas, who have three children, plan to pay bills and become
debt free with their winnings. The couple's 15-year-old son is
hoping they purchase a new truck, so he can have his dad's old
truck.
The winning ticket was purchased at Presto 1633, located at 1254
S. Tyler Rd.
in Wichita